Butterfly
by boogie woogie
Summary: Sequel to "Insecurity", Drake and JJ's life has been wonderful. And the both of them are determined to keep it that way, exactly how it is. But what happens when something unexpected crosses their path ? Will they be able to change one more time? DrakexJJ
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: FAKE is not mine. I make no money off of writing these stories. This is purely for my enjoyment as well as yours. Don't sue me. I SWEAR I HAVE NO MONEY!

A/N: YESSSS! I'm going to have the BEST time writing this one! WOOHOO! As you may know, this is the sequel to my other story called "Insecurity". If you have not read that yet, please do so or YOU WILL BE LOST. Anyways, I was originally going to write my first DrakexJJ fic and leave it at that, but I got such rave reviews it spurred me to write this one. I got the idea and ran with it.

I'm changing my style a little bit. A few people have remarked that my emotional scenes went by too fast for them to be good. So, I'm putting in less angst, the same sap, and a LOT more humor. No one has really shot me down for that yet, so I'm guessing that it doesn't suck. Tell me if it does.

**THIS STORY PICKS UP ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF LATER OF WHERE "INSECURITY" STOPPED! PLEASE REALIZE THAT TIME HAS PASSED! **Thank you.

Warning: THIS CONTAINS SHONEN AI/YAOI/SLASH. THAT MEANS TWO MEN SHARING INTIMATE MOMENTS TOGETHER! There will be limes so watch out people! And since you're reading FAKE, you should have already expected this.

Warning #2: I'm using some colorful language. Deal with it.

Pairings: Drake and JJ (the main attraction), Ryo and Dee, Ted and Janet, others maybe if I feel like it

_Thoughts are in italics_

So... let's get started ne?

* * *

**Butterfly**

Chapter 1:

Two weary officers stepped into their New York apartment. Sore and exhausted, they slid out of their shoes and shrugged off their jackets before collapsing onto their sofa. It had been aggravating enough that criminals always chose the hottest days of summer to commit their crimes, but on top of that, the air conditioner at the 27th precinct was broken. One stuffy room, filled with four sweaty men, was not their ideal working environment.

JJ turned his head to the right to glance at Drake. The blonde's eyes were closed and he was deep breathing to relax his over worked body. Only when the smaller man let out a snort of laughter did two hazel eyes blink open lazily.

"And what's so amusing hmm?" asked Drake.

JJ just grinned as he groped around for Drake's hand and then held it to his chest. "Us, Drake. We're so unexpectedly compatible."

"Oh, brother," Drake mumbled as he gave his partner's hand a fleeting squeeze, "Should I be flattered or insulted?"

"Well, neither really," JJ answered after a moment of contemplation, "We can both be grateful 'kay?"

Drake gave him a warm smile before he closed his eyes again.

They had been together for over a year and a half now. Their routines melded into one as they had worked with each other to adapt. Drake had agreed to move into JJ's apartment after very little debate. It was no secret that JJ had the better location, better facilities, better accommodations, and pretty much better everything, but Drake just wanted to be closer to him in any way possible. If he had to give up his current rat hole for the luxury of all JJ had to offer, then so be it. As long as he could wake up with his face buried in a mound of silver hair and the smell of coffee wafting in from the kitchen, the situation of sharing an apartment would be no problem.

Once Drake had completely moved into JJ's high-rise, it only took about a week for it to become common knowledge that they were boyfriends. Of course, it helped that Drake had posted a memo about his new whereabouts on the public bulletin board for everyone to see. He felt that it was important to JJ for him to make this relationship as open as possible. _And hell, if I have to come out of the closet, might as well burst out with a bang_.

Not everyone at the police department was pleased about their newfound attraction. It bothered Drake at first, when a few of his acquaintances gave him the cold shoulder, but he quickly got over it. No need to waste concern on those he really didn't like in the first place. Besides the few people who were ignoring the couple, there was only one outright retaliation. The incident being when someone had spray painted "FAG" on the side of Drake's car. JJ was furious and urged him to file a harassment report, but Drake just shrugged it off with a new paint job. Dee had told him that might happen and he was prepared to deal with it when the time came. What good would a report do when so many at Headquarters were prejudiced? It might just backfire on him by the committee replying that the accusation was unfounded, therefore putting a black mark on his record. In the end, Drake's car simply changed from blue to red and that was the last of the harassment.

Well, at least the harassment about his sexuality.

Apparently Drake snored, which he thoroughly denied, and JJ was a light sleeper. The combination triggered more than just a few heated arguments. They settled on a compromise, JJ would wear ear plugs and Drake would wear a nose strip. Neither were very attractive, bur if it meant that they would get a good night sleep in the same bed, they'd try it. And fortunately for them, it worked like a charm.

Then there was that other aspect of what they did in bed together. It had taken a while for Drake to work up the courage to go all the way, but JJ was patient enough. Through a progression of several nights, each time going a little bit farther than the night before, Drake found out all the joys of making love with another man. A little painful, a little uncomfortable, but all in all something that would definitely grow on him.

And now after a more than a year of experimenting and learning, he wouldn't have it any other way. In fact, he wouldn't want anything he had now to change. It was perfect the way it was.

"JJ," Drake muttered while he nudged him with his foot, "Go make dinner. It's your turn."

"Aw, Drake," JJ whined, "I'm too tired. You go cook something, you're better than I am anyways."

"No! Not only have I made all the meals for the past three days, I had to do laundry by myself again this week. Nope, it's your turn."

"But Drakey, I had to go and start the Webber case alone this morning because you had a doctor's appointment."

"Oh, by the way, how's that going?"

"It's frustrating. No evidence to lock him away, even though EVERYONE knows he's dealing ecstasy and meth," JJ sighed.

"Yeah, I head about that. Every single time we think we've got him possessing something, it disappears."

"Yup. So I was on the phone all morning trying to track down any leads."

"I'm sorry, sounds like you had a rough day," Drake drawled sarcastically.

"Does that mean you will-"

"No, get off your gorgeous ass and make something."

There were a few instances when Drake took his stubbornness to a whole new level. At first it had infuriated JJ to no end. He just fumed whenever Drake dug in his heels and refused to listen to reason. Most of the time it was about his music, but occasionally he would become immovable on other topics. It seemed that this was one of those circumstances. However, time had taught JJ how to deal with these situations. _You only get what you give._

"Please, Drake," JJ complained, "I really don't want to cook. My arms feel like they're going to fall off."

"Don't care. You won't get this one past me."

"I'll make breakfast tomorrow."

"No."

"I'll make breakfast and dinner tomorrow."

"Not happening."

"I'll make breakfast and dinner for the next five days."

"Pft," Drake grunted with disbelief, "That's what you say ALL the time and somehow I STILL end up as the one in the kitchen. Well, I'm not falling for it. Nothing can change my mind, and that's that!"

And crossing his arms over his chest, Drake stared JJ straight in the eye. _I am going to stop being his doormat! He thinks that I will do anything for him if he gives me that look. That stops, right here, right now. Nothing he says is going to make me..._

JJ bit his lower lip before saying, "If you make dinner tonight... I'll be uke for a week?"

Silence.

JJ tried to contain the smirk that was threatening to surface. With as much noise and stomping as possible, Drake trudged to the kitchen. Grumbling all sorts of profanities under his breath, he began to pull pans from cupboards and food from the pantry.

_God Damnit! I'm cooking AGAIN! How can he keep doing this to me?! If I didn't have such a weakness for his adorable little ass... Fine! I'll just make sure I get my fair share this week. Unbelievable... no one knows how to push my buttons quite like JJ._

JJ laid out on the sofa, quietly laughing to himself. _Got him again. Poor baby, I really don't play fair. It's just too easy when your lover has an inner sadist fetish._

His thoughts were interrupted when Drake bellowed, "I hope you fucking like chicken!" from the doorway.

"Of course I do baby. I like anything you make," JJ yelled back to the general direction of the kitchen. After a moment he added, "I love you grouch!"

He stifled another wave of mirth when Drake commented back, "Yeah, yeah. I love you too, you lazy bum."

* * *

A/N: Oh! I'm so happy! I'm getting back into the swing of things after my two week or so break. YAY! I just LOVE when Drake and JJ are together. They're so PRECIOUS! And remember to review for me please! I like to know how many people like my ideas, or don't like them for that matter.

Feedback directly correlates to quick updates!!!!!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: -dances around- Reviews, reviews, reviews! You are so wonderful to me! I feel so loved! Here is chapter 2! This is where the story picks up in a big way. So fantastic!

Let's get ready to rumble ladies and gentlemen!

xoxoxo

Neko-Rinny: Thank you for liking my beginning and I'm happy I'm writing more too. The updates will come every other day I think. Nothing like an author who sets brisk pace. Stay with me and I hope you grow to love this fic!

MoonstarSR: YAY! I love JJxDrake TOO!! And I just HAD to do the sequel when I thought of a good story to go with. It's just so fun... stick around and find out! I'll update as fast as I can.

katastrophic88: Oh good! I thought I had a really crappy last chapter or something. Hehe. You're so silly. I have a pet peeve against fics where the sequel is not as good as the original, so I had to make this extra special. Hopefully it is! Thank you for staying with me! And making everyone a hardcore DrakeJJ fan is my life goal. ROCK ON!

NaiyaTook: Yep! I hoped to show the different attitudes and stuffs towardsmy babies. I'm glad you like the start! Hopefully it just goes up from here! I'll email you if I want to bounce off ideas, but I hate ruining surprises. ;-) Keep reading!

Kitty in the Box: sequels are yummy! and I've got good feelings about this one too. I've got SO much planned for my wonderful little characters! They're gonna have a blast. Thanks for reviewing!

earthangel3: You'll find out later that I needed the jump. Plus, I wanted them all settled so I could throw them another curve ball. And there will sadly be no DrakeJJ lemons. I got afriad after what happened to Wildefyre. JJ and Drake seemed like they would be the type to swtich roles of uke and seme. The best of both worlds. -sigh-

Calico Avangi: I hoped it would be better than Insecurity. I'm getting the hang of it better. I had to throw in that last scene when I thought about it because it was so typical of what I saw them as. Keep reading and I hope you enjoy the rest!

ladybard96: Wow! Such confidence that it will be good! I hope I don't disappoint. I'm putting in more effort to make sure it's quality. And thank you for saying that they're "real". Because no one is really like JJ in the manga.

Jazz Cheetah: A NEW FOLLOWER! FANTASTIC! -huggles- Thanks for reading both Insecurity and this fic. I'm so pleased you enjoy them. I can only hope that you love the rest! And they are perfect together... not a coicidence of Matoh. And the conflict will NOT be what you're thinking. I can promise you that. And I was thinking about doing a SSRL because I luvs them so much. I've developed a sort of... loathing for RLSB... not to say anything bad about you of course! No idea why I like severus better.

Goofball: HEHE! YAY! You're reading the sequel too! Good. And I DO love doing this. So much it hurts sometimes. And you're becoming addicted? FABULOUS! I can turn you metero yet. No worries about the chat thing. I understand what it's like to have a mommy too. :-D

xoxoxo

* * *

Chapter 2:

"Drake! DRAKE! UP!" JJ shouted from the bedroom doorway as he hurled a pillow towards the bed.

"UGH! Mmm... I'm awake, I'm awake..." Drake moaned as he sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He looked over at his already fully dressed companion who was standing arms akimbo and leaning against the door frame. _Morning people... I'll never understand them..._

"Drake, it's already past seven thirty. You should already be in the shower by now," JJ tsked, "At this rate, you won't be able to eat my pancakes."

Drake waved to show that he understood and practically crawled to the bathroom. His conflicting feelings about the soft bed versus hot pancakes were tearing at his brain. _Sleep! No, food! Sleep! Food! AHHH!_ He grabbed a towel and started the warm water running in the shower. _If I don't eat some of JJ's breakfast, he'll pout all morning. Plus this is the first time in... forever that he's made pancakes. _

After he washed up and was brushing his teeth, Drake caught the first smells of caffeine. The extra stimulus assured JJ that he would be out in a few minutes.

"Welcome back to the living," JJ laughed as Drake sat down, his hair still damp and hanging in front of his forehead.

"Good morning to you too," Drake huffed as he dug in.

"Hey, hey! Slow down all right? I'm not so great at the Heimlich maneuver," JJ said as he sat down opposite the man now stuffing his face.

"Schop waggin me."

"What was that? Stop nagging you? I can barely understand the words you're saying," and after a pause the silver haired man added, "Odd really, you usually always swallow before talking."

Drake nearly choked when he realized the other meanings that JJ's last comment meant, "JJ! Why do you have to torment me when I'm trying to eat?!"

"Because it's fun. And I love seeing you blush," JJ stated with a grin.

"Gutter mind."

"Oh you know you like it."

"Hey, look at the time! We better hit the road if we don't want to be late," Drake nodded as he got up, put his dishes away, and got ready to leave. _Just avoid the topic of how sexy JJ's perverted streak is... just avoid the topic of how sexy JJ's perverted streak is..._

"Sure baby," JJ chuckled, _he's avoiding how much of a turn on he thinks my perverted nature is_,"If you've ever been on time in your life, I'll give up jazz. Okay! October! Come here girl." The labrador waddled over the where JJ was waiting with a leash. After her master clipped the strap to her collar, she was led next door to the adjacent apartment.

"Thank you very much Mrs. Henderson, we'll be in late so it's much appreciated that you will be able to watch October for us," JJ said gratefully as he handed over his pet. It was amazing how much she had grown over the past year or so. From a tiny puppy, only a foot or so tall, the dog had matured to be waist high.

"No problem, Officer Adams. Say hello to Officer Parker for me!" Mrs. Henderson smiled as she closed her front door.

"Does she still think that we're just really good friends?" Drake questioned as he locked their own door.

JJ shook his head and shrugged, "She's old Drake, and conservative. I don't think she even knows about gays."

"That's surprising. I didn't think the walls were THAT thick."

"Idiot!" JJ scolded playfully as he swatted the back of Drake's head.

Drake stuck out his tongue, "Ditto."

**oOoOoOoOoOo**

The precinct was bustling this morning. Of course, it was bustling EVERY morning, but today it seemed to be in a heightened state of frenzy. Uniformed officers, maintenance workers, secretaries, and various visitors appeared to have all found their way into a crowded corridor, blocking JJ and Drake from their workspace.

"Excuse me... move, please..."

"Out of the way... miss, would you step aside?"

With a last shove, they secured themselves in their office, at last separated from the packed hallway. Already feeling the heat closing in on them, they loosened their ties before greeting their fellow detectives.

"Man, it's a zoo out there. Do either of you know what's going on?" Drake inquired before he set to work.

Ryo nodded and responded, "Near the 19th precinct, a construction crew hit a gas pipe, so the entire sector has been moved here for the time being."

"It's not anything permanent though," Dee chimed in, "It should only be for today at most."

"Thank goodness. With the air conditioner out, the last thing we need is more body heat," JJ heaved softly.

"Here, here," chorused the other three officers before a calm silence permeated the room.

For twenty minutes there was little else than the passing of notes and tapping of pencils. Ryo and Dee were wrapped up in their own assignment, while Drake and JJ concentrated on any patterns in the Webber file.

Despite the numerous witnesses that said John Webber was a dealer, no solid evidence could be found. Raid after raid was conducted to bring up nothing at all, which disturbed the police to no end. How could one man hide all the chemicals he was supposedly selling, just minutes after they followed him home from high profile drug rings? They couldn't pin the intended buyers either, so they just kept running in circles.

Before JJ could suggest another approach to the problem, the phone rang. Drake, who was closest, picked up the receiver only to hear a low muffled sound.

"Web... at home... with new shipment... unsuspecting... go..."

Drake grabbed a piece of paper to jot down the few phrases he could pick out, mouthing the words 'trace the call' to his partner. JJ looked over at the caller ID to see that it was a pay phone number, no way of identifying the voice.

"Who is this and what is your location?" Drake spoke up. After waiting for a few seconds he repeated, "Who is this? Where are you?"

The sound of the dial tone buzzed.

"Damnit!" Drake slammed the phone down, "I couldn't even tell if the speech was male or female. Too stifled to be certain."

"What was it? What happened?" JJ demanded swiftly.

"Someone calling to say that Webber was at home... with more drugs. Sounds like a set up to me," Drake said with a furrowed brow.

"But what if it wasn't. I think we should check it out Drake. We've got nothing else going for us," JJ answered, standing to place his gun in his holster.

"I still don't like the sound of it. Something doesn't seem right."

Dee, who had been listening to the last part of the conversation, spoke up, "We'll go with you as back up if you want. Better safe than sorry."

"Okay, okay," Drake replied in defeat, "We'll scout it out. JJ, grab his address from our last search. This is probably a trap or a practical joke. Either way I plan to be back by lunch."

**oOoOoOoOoOo**

Two squad cars pulled up to a run down apartment on the outskirts of the suburbs. The building looked in desperate need of repair, even though an expensive Lexus was parked outside. No noise came from the structure as three men quietly stalked towards the front door. Dee had jerked his head around to the side to show that he would seal off an escape from the back exit. Yet, unlike their previous visits to the shack, no footsteps could be heard inside. The circumstances gave the impression that something, anything was terribly off.

_Maybe he's not home, _JJ thought, _another fuckin' prank call._

Ryo gave him a quizzical look as if to say, 'Should we go in anyways?'. A quick nod from Drake, and they burst in through the already open door. Weapons held in front of them, they scanned the living room for Webber. At first it came across as if the room were empty, but then on closer inspection...

They spotted him. On the floor. With a bullet square between his eye balls.

Shocked, the officers walked over to the body to find a woman next to him, also shot through the skull. Eyes wide open, their heads sat in a pool of blood. The liquid was still wet, meaning that this crime took place recently, very recently. The simple case of a drug pusher became double homicide in an instant.

"Fuck," Drake breathed, "What the hell happened?"

"We need... to call to the station," JJ stammered, "Forensics has to come and get... the bodies..."

They all jumped when they heard a slam nearby, only to see Dee come in through a back entrance, "Is he.... here... oh my god. That's not what we predicted."

"My thoughts exactly," sighed Ryo, "I'll go out to the car and radio in for you two. We need examiners here immediately."

The two men left Drake and JJ squatting next to the corpses. Out of all the possibilities that they cold have come up with, this was the least of their wildest dreams. The new questions of 'Who killed him?', 'What was this death in relation to the call?', 'Who is the woman?', and 'What now?' were racing through the pair's minds. The complexity of the situation tripled by the new onslaught of complications.

_This is just bizarre. Who would have expected murder... What ELSE could go wrong?_ Drake groaned to himself.

"I can smell overtime written all over this one Drake," JJ said, disappointed.

"I know."

"Two dead people just causes the work to be added."

"Sadly enough."

There was nothing to do but sit and observe the stiffs. The couple had no gloves or equipment to try and pull data with, so the next best thing was to toss ideas around as to what happened. Obviously someone was angry with the low class seller or just wanted him out of the way, but who? There was no friction between Webber and any cartels that they knew of. On the contrary he was a smooth customer, every transaction flawless. So, Drake and JJ mulled over one unlikely idea after another.

A soft noise sounded. It was a small, petite sort of... whimper?

JJ reached for his revolver again and stood up, tensed, "Did you hear that Drake?"

"Hear what?" Drake said worriedly.

"That soft... there it is again!" JJ cried as he edged towards the adjoining rooms.

"I can't hear anything," Drake hissed.

They searched the bathroom and master bedroom. Nothing to be found, not even the suspected drugs. There was only one room left to go through, which they assumed was a tiny guest bedroom. They could definitely hear sounds, which JJ though reminded him of October, coming from the shadows around this vicinity. Creeping into the space, they switched the lights on.

"Oh. Holy. Jesus."

A baby was sniveling in a wicker basket, right in the middle of the wooden floor.

* * *

A/N: AHHHH! THE PLOT! THE PLOT! WE HAVE A PLOT NOW! I'm so sorry for my sucky drama. –bows madly- Forgive the writing. I tried my best.

Review your little hearts out! I crave your criticism, advice, praise, anything you've got to tell me, I'll take it! If you think I should just give up, I need to know that! If you think this is worth pursuing, I need to know that too!

I know that the pace has picked up beyond recognition. If it REALLY annoys you TELL ME! I put so much effort into toning it down slowly but I got swept away! Forgive me...


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: AH! I look back now at chapter 2 and feel so ashamed. I just threw all this information at you without any pacing and I'm SO SORRY! All my hopes for control, squashed into dust. -hangs head-

I will try harder! I MUST do better! –sobs-

I just have all this information that I have to fit in because I don't like to break up the chapters and... and... I'm running out of excuses. Just try and get used to it?

xoxoxo

Dana: Thank you so much for the flattering compliments. I get nervous over my pacing and style because that's what people usually say needs work. My content has never really come under fire yet, so that's good. Angst smacked me around too much and too much sap is unrealistic, but I'm doing the best I can. Sorry! No Lemons. This is they'll kick me off T.T

Kitty in the Box: So glad you like the plot so far. I ABOSLUTELY HAD TO THROW THEM THIS CURVE BALL. This fic is going to be more of a mystery than the last one. Hopefully I can keep you guessing for awhile. YAY! And I'm not revealing anything yet. Just read and find out!

Calico Avangi: Yup thought so. I'm working on it. Really I am. But even God had to make the world in seven days. I'm learning as I go really. So new to the whole fic thing (writing not reading). Thank you! I hope this chapter is better.

Naiya Took: I can write quickly because I have an outline of everything I want to do already. I just gots to type it out. Thank you for saying my drama is not sucky. I sure thought it was. Yes, plot is twisted and grotesque involving more mystery and BABIES! I just HAD to add that.

Neko-Rinny: Yes, BABY! They're so much fun. And if you knew what was going on in my head, you'd be very surprised. Not even I know what's going on half the time... hehe. Anyways, I'm taking these fellas down a long hard path so stick with me!

Q-kitten: OOO! I'm so sorry about the height thing. I'm a cat person really so I don't know all that much about dogs. I just wanted to show growth, hopefully that didn't detract from the plot any. And I'm 5'1". My waist is actually the right size I think. -.-;;;

xoxoxo

* * *

Chapter 3: 

"It's a baby."

"Yes, I can see it's a baby. WHOSE baby is it?" asked Commissioner Rose.

"That's... that's complicated..." responded JJ with a sheepish look.

An emergency meeting was being held in Rose's office to discuss the origins of THE baby. The officers had been unwilling to leave the small infant in the musty apartment, insisting that they look after it until its guardians made themselves known. Worst possible situation was that the child was Webber's and had just been made an orphan.

"I don't understand," said Ted in a confused manner, "You're saying that the two bodies were shot dead in the living room and there was a baby in the guest room?"

"Yes," sighed JJ, "We only heard it ten minutes or so after we found the corpses..."

"Shouldn't the kid have been crying?" Marty piped in, "According to CSI, the man and woman were shot only thirty minutes before you got there. Loud noises used to shake my son up all the time."

"Well, that's the least of our worries. Adams and Parker still don't know WHY the child was there at all. I checked the file myself, and there's no mention of a woman or a baby in connection to the case," declared Berkeley, taking off his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"She is really cute though..."

Every head in the room turned to face Ryo. In their curiosity about what had occurred just an hour before, the detectives had completely forgotten that the infant was still in the office room. Ryo however, had taken it upon himself to watch the child while the others discussed the turn of events. He was currently leaning over the basket with the back of his hand caressing her face. The empty space was quiet with disbelief at Ryo's statement.

"What?" questioned Dee.

"Um... she's a beautiful baby, I guess," Ryo repeated quietly.

"How do you know it's a girl?" queried Ted.

Ryo covered his mouth with his hand when he gave a small snigger, "Matter of observation. I don't know many male children who wear purple dresses."

All the men present took a few steps towards the wicker carrier to get a better look. Sure enough, the tiny girl was wearing a simple, lavender dress when they pulled back her checkered blanket. She wore no shoes or socks, just a run of the mill outfit and diaper. Now that Drake and JJ were giving the little lady their undivided attention, they noticed her diminutive features.

They slowly proceeded to memorize her black hair that sparsely covered her head and her intensely green eyes that stared back at them. Drake realized after a moment of déjà vu, that her almond shaped eyes held the rich color that reminded him of Dee. Her skin was a smooth eggshell color, that he found very innocent looking. _I suppose she IS sort of sweet. Sad that she has to be in this situation._

JJ on the other hand was taking in how small and how uniquely proportioned she was. Kids had never been JJ's forte, simply because he hadn't been around them enough to become comfortable, so he was unfamiliar with their mannerisms. The size of her head compared to the rest of her body was what intrigued the sapphire eyed man the most. It just seemed so big. _I wonder if all babies' heads are that size. I wonder if MY head was that size. Strange because it seems to suit her just fine..._

Berkeley coughed to get the attention of the company back to him, "No matter how "cute" she may be, we've still got unanswered questions here. Focus people."

Grumbling back to their places and parking themselves in their respective seats they continued to bounce theories off each other. Every new idea seemed to be more unlikely as the last. After a while, they mutually decided that they would be able to conclude more sufficient hypotheses once the bodies, especially the woman's, were formally identified. Every sleeve in the office was rolled up, while one or two policemen fanned themselves with their clipboards. The heat was slowly toasting the area into a sauna.

Rose spoke over the conversing peers around five o'clock, "That's enough. I say we call it a day. We're going in circles with no real intelligent deductions being made."

A grateful agreement flowed through the room as they prepared to leave, filing away papers and throwing on suit coats.

"Hold up!" Dee commanded as he raised his hands in front of him, "What are we going to do about the kid?"

The commissioner huffed, "Give it to Minors. They will be able to do something with her."

"We can't," Ryo stated, "She's technically the only witness to the crime."

"Why does that make a difference?" asked Marty, "Minors is still part of the police department."

"True," answered Ryo, "But minors puts the children in foster homes, not take care of them themselves. We can't allow her to be placed with anyone until we contact her relatives or clear her from this mess."

"Point duly noted," exhaled Rose, "Well, the only choice we have is..."

"We'll baby-sit her for now," volunteered Ryo, receiving a weary look from Dee.

"That's not possible Ryo," Dee countered, "We've got Bikky's tournament this entire week, starting the day after tomorrow. We're going to be out of town for some time."

Ryo's eyes seemed to lose some of their previous sparkle and disappointment was clearly etched across his face, "Oh, yes, I forgot about that."

Concerned, Dee leaned over to whisper against his ear, "Hey, it's all right. I know you've got a weak spot for kids, but there will be other chances."

While Ryo nodded solemnly, Berkeley scanned the room for other possible caretakers.

"Fine, Ted the girl's yours."

"WHAT? You can't do that! I'm single remember! A baby is too hard for just one person."

Exasperated, Rose rolled his eyes, "You're dating Janet right?"

"We're not living together... unlike some of us," Ted shot back, pointedly staring at Drake and JJ.

JJ's eyes bulged as he waved both his hands frantically, "No no no. We're uh... we're-"

"Perfect," Rose cut in, letting a small grin grace his face, "That seems to work out just great. It's YOUR assignment anyways. I can see you as competent tag-team nannies."

"But, I don't know anything about kids!" JJ wailed softly.

Dee raised his arm to gesture at Drake's direction, "Your partner does. He used to live around his nephews in California."

JJ whirled around to stare dumbfounded at Drake. Yeah, he knew that Drake had family where he used to live, but he never really mentioned taking care of them before. Drake just shrugged helplessly. It had been many years since he'd last seen either of his two nephews. They rarely kept in touch anymore.

"Well... now that that's settled. See you bright and early tomorrow," beamed Rose as he whisked them out of the room.

**oOoOoOoOoOo**

Because neither Drake nor JJ had an extra car seat lying around at the station, they had to settle for one of them holding her securely in the back seat of the car. The ride home was eerily silent, not even the small girl made much noise at all. Immersed in his own thoughts, JJ's body drove the car on auto pilot.

_Think positive, she won't be staying for long. Not long at all. Someone, somewhere must be related to her. This is only for safe custody and even if she has no adult guardians, Minors will be able to sort out a foster home once the case is solved. Stay optimistic! Pft, who am I fooling. I don't know what the hell to do. I'm an only child for Christ sakes. _

So concentrated on his own apprehensions, he didn't pick up on Drake's silence as well. He had been clutching the infant carefully since they left the precinct, finding a position where she could rest against his chest.

_Stop trembling! You're going to make her slip or something... Jeez, she's so small. Hasn't uttered a peep since we found her. Course, I'm not complaining, it could be worse. She could be colicky and then we would have had MAJOR problems. This is all right I guess. It's temporary so we can make a change here or there... sorry to see JJ so tense though... really must be hard on him._

"Pull over here JJ!" Drake ordered as he spotted a local Wal-Mart, "We're going to need a few basics before we head home."

"If you say so," answered JJ before he pulled into a parking space.

Twenty minutes later, they were on the road again. A bag of diapers, baby food, and a bunny suit bounced around in the trunk. That had been quite the experience. Drake received all sorts of suspicious stares when he had asked a middle aged woman to estimate how old their child was, for measuring purposes. Apparently adults were supposed to know the age of their charges. Choosing the items was another story altogether. JJ couldn't believe how many different brands of diapers they were and the fact that they didn't come in a 'one size fits all'. Luckily there were bags with a moderate amount of diapers for four month olds. For food, Drake had put his method in a phrase his sister used to use:

"It's always important for a child to have a little of each baby food group: white, red, orange, and green."

Drake's humble knowledge left JJ's in the dust, so he had held her while Drake shopped. Holding children wasn't too bad after he got used to carrying her around, light as a feather but too small it fit into any grocery cart.

_Stay calm, one step at a time... _

The trip from the local supermarket to their apartment was short. Thankfully so, because for the first time, the child was getting fussy. She squirmed around in Drake's arms, whimpering in protest, on the way up in the elevator. Furrowing his brow, he tried several other ways to restrain her flailing by switching grips. JJ could only look on helplessly and pat Drake's shoulder in comfort. It turned out to be the longest five minutes of their lives.

"Just put her down over there while I figure out where she's going to sleep," yawned JJ as he removed his shoes.

"She can't sleep in a bed JJ, she'll roll off," Drake added.

"Yeah, I guessed that," replied JJ, "I suppose the floor would be best for now. Oh hi sweetie, did Mrs. Henderson let you in early tonight?"

Eager to see what the new smells were, October had bounded off the couch to sit in front of Drake. Wagging her tail and panting at the unexpected guest.

"She can't sleep on the floor either. It's not safe because there is nothing to make sure she stays put. And now we've got October to think about," breathed Drake as he concentrated hard on a solution.

"If... if... we moved that there... and turned that around to face the window... laid out a couple of blankets... that might work," JJ said as he used his fingers to visualize the arrangement of furniture.

"I'm too exhausted to think. Just show me what to do," pleaded Drake.

It took both their collective strengths to push the various pieces of furniture into position. Huffing and puffing they looked over their work. The couch, ottoman, and loveseat were up against the nearby wall, making a closed off rectangle. The space inside on the floor seemed about enough space to let a baby sleep in. Blankets were placed on the carpet, before they settled her onto them.

"October will just... sleep in our... room tonight," wheezed JJ as he doubled over.

"Okay, that makes sense... we'll be fine until tomorrow... let's get some sleep," gasped Drake as he tried to catch his breath from the strenuous exercise.

Walking in a fog, they retreated to their room. Too worn-out to get fully undressed, they removed their ties and socks before slipping between the cool sheets. Before he closed his eyes, JJ caught a quick glimpse of his bedside clock, eleven thirty. _What a day. Too much happened to even think about... I'll sort it out tomorrow..._

A clumsy kiss was pressed against his cheek before he drifted off into blackness.

* * *

A/N: I tried to take it slower. TELL ME IF I IMPROVED OR NOT. I ONLY WRITE TO PLEASE YOU SO GIVE ME YOUR THOUGHTS AND I WILL DELIVER. 

Kudos to all who review, you are my light at the end of the tunnel.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: WOOHOO! We've got a baby people! Course, we also have a lot of questions that are unanswered too. I'm on my writing high, my buzz. Chapter 4! So happy, so happy, so happy...

Warning of major sap.

xoxoxo

Goofball: YAY! What a long review! Nice. And knew you would like it! Babies are so fun. –dances around- Thanks for the glowing review on my pacing. Hehe. Made me feel much better. And my plot took two weeks to work through. The kinks were smoothed out and yay all I have to do is write it. I'll email you when I update! :-D

Jazz Cheetah: Yes! A baby is a new thing that I haven't seen in any FAKE fics. Something out of the ordinary that I absolutely had to throw in. And they will be very tired. Babies are tough work. That's why it's good there's two of them. I can't wait to show you where my story is going!

Calico Avangi: FABULOUS! I attempted to apply the same pacing to this chapter, but I'd like to see what you think of it. I love this chapter the best. –huggles chapter 4- It's okay that I'm not on your favorites list or anything. I just like reviews. And you have been doing so for awhile so, MANY THANKS! :-)

earthangel3: Oh, it's okay. I'm just glad you reviewed now. I always wondered what Drake and JJ would be like when they're taking care of a baby. Now we'll find out! And no. I can tell you right now that Dee is not related to the baby in any way. I just thought that was a good way to describe her eyes. Yup yup. Well, read and review please! Thanks for the support.

Neko-Rinny: YAY! You're going to stick with my ficcie. I guess it kinda is going to be Ryo/Bikkyish. They're going to take care of her yeah, but 1) she's much smaller than Bikky 2) neither one of them thinks she's a pest 3) she might not stay with them in the end. No more hints! But it is unique to the classic Ryo/Dee/Bikky relationship.

xoxoxo

* * *

Chapter 4: 

Babies-R-Us. The one store that neither Drake nor JJ thought they'd EVER be in. But there they were, together, standing in the middle of an aisle flooded with car seats, at six o'clock in the morning.

It had been three days since they had found the little girl in her wicker basket and not a single person had come forward to take her in. It didn't help that the police station couldn't even provide the public with a name, but the description had been thorough enough. A four month old female with black hair, green eyes, and was Caucasian. Surely the parents would have known if their baby was missing.

Well, if her parents were alive that is.

The day after they had discovered the infant, they had submitted a little bit of her blood for a DNA sample to be compared to Webber's. Until the results came back, all they could do was wait, and that's where the tricky part came in, the waiting. Instead of just one or two days, it looked as if Drake and JJ were going to spend a week or so caring for their new visitor. Which caused one huge problem

"Fuck! Look at how expensive they!" exclaimed Drake.

"Why are you so surprised? I thought that you knew about babies," retorted JJ.

"Just because I used to be around little kids doesn't mean that I bought all their stuff."

"Anyways, we have to get one. She's been driving me crazy for the past couple days, we need something we can put her in without having to worry about her falling out of it."

Somewhere deep down inside of the pair of them, they had found motherly reason to not place the child in harm's way. Be it common sense or instinct, they never left her sitting on the couch alone, or the bed alone, or the kitchen chairs alone. 'Not alone' implying that one of them was with her at all times. So when one took a shower, the other had to wait to make breakfast. When one was getting dressed, the other had to wait to take October out. The circumstances were cutting into too much of their time.

"We could have borrowed one," suggested Drake, "From Ryo or somebody."

"Come on," JJ scoffed, "Bikky was already 11 by the time they met."

"Fine, fine. I don't care. You choose one then."

"How about... this one."

"WHAT? Are you kidding me? That thing has got more handles then we have hands!"

"Then YOU make the decision."

"I don't know. I was thinking about something simple. Something that would do its job, be efficient... without any extra unnecessary functions."

JJ worked hard to keep his own thoughts inside his head and not escape out of his mouth. _He just described himself to the letter. How interesting... maybe that's his approach to life. The basics, what's needed without frivolity. _

"Okay, I understand. Then how about the red one over there?"

They both shuffled down the aisle to the average sized car seat with a white plastic handle. Drake tilted his head to the right, while JJ shifted the baby on his shoulder. Staring in silence, they both took in its adequate nature. A padded seat covered in crimson cotton, a retractable cover for the sun, and holes in the back that fit with a seat belt. Perfect.

"Do you think she'll fit?" questioned Drake.

"Let's try and find out," proposed JJ, as he gently lifted the sleepy child and settled her into the car seat.

For extra measure, Drake reached up and buckled her in to test out the size. He thought it might be a little big, but not so large that they couldn't use it. _She'll grow into it, given time. Perhaps we'll just send it along with her once we locate adults to parent herâ€ Yeah, our gift to whoever gets to be there for her._

"What do you think Drake? You think it fits?" asked JJ.

"It'll do just fine, what I like best is that price fits.," Drake nodded as he lifted both baby and car seat off the shelf, "And if we don't get out of here now, we won't make it to the office by seven."

"Excellent point," agreed JJ, "Let's check out and leave."

**oOoOoOoOoOo **

Something was different about the precinct building today, but JJ and Drake couldn't put their finger on it. They had noticed it instantly the minute they walked in, like an aura of something or another, invisible but definitely there. Puzzled, they stepped into their office and then realized exactly what is was when a cold gush of air blew right into them.

"Ooo... it's freezing in here!" JJ cried as his arms crossed over his chest automatically.

"Must mean they got the air conditioner working again," shivered Drake, "Maybe a little too well in fact."

"God! It must be fifty degrees in this room. Quick, take off your jacket."

"What? Why?"

"Because we don't want the baby to turn blue and start crying."

The infant's face was contorting into a look of pure discomfort, and Drake started undressing immediately. That look always came right before she started bawling loud enough to give their sirens a run for their money. Between the choice of a migraine and feeling like an icicle, he'd choose the icicle any day.

"F... fi... fine, but after lunch... you're the one with frostbite," demanded Drake as he draped his suit coat over the car seat and unhappy child.

"Deal," grinned JJ as he whipped out his thermos, "You can have the whole thing today Drake. Looks like you're going to need it."

Drake laughed and threw JJ one of his most genuine smiles, "And just when I begin to think that I can't love you anymore..."

"Yes, yes I know. I'm just that fantastic," JJ teased haughtily, running his hand through his hair for effect, "You couldn't do anything without me helping you in someway."

"You're right, I couldn't," whispered Drake, softening his smile to show his partner that he was absolutely serious.

Words failed JJ as his heart melted at Drake's reply. He had expected some sarcastic remark about his vanity or arrogance, like the banter they usually enjoyed together. Yet, it was moments like this, this unexpectedly sweet confession of the soul that meant everything to him. His reaction was just further evidence that he had lost his heart to the only man that mattered anymore.

"Um... thanks," blushed JJ after some hesitation, "You know you mean everything to me too."

"Sure I do," said Drake as he leaned over and wrapped an arm around his waist, "But that doesn't mean I don't like being reminded once in a while."

The blond just chuckled as his lover turned a deeper shade of scarlet.

"We've got work to do sexy. I'll pick up the coffee, you pick up the baby, and let's make our merry little way down to the file room. Because no matter how special she is, she couldn't have been left by the stork."

**oOoOoOoOoOo**

"And here's all the birth certificates for May 2nd," Drake gasped as he let a gigantic stack of papers fall upon their work table.

JJ groaned with dissatisfaction as he picked up the top piece of paper, "Oh goody, just twenty or so days to go."

"No, actually it's more," Drake responded, "These are only the births from Memorial Hospital, there are still five other major maternity wards, and then there are the couple hundred home births."

JJ unceremoniously thudded his head against the table, "Ah, just shoot me now. Why do people have to have so many kids! After one, they should tie their tubes."

"Always the feminist aren't you JJ" Drake sighed as he shook his head, "Let's start and maybe we'll finish by next year."

So they separated the pile into two halves and commenced to skim through them all. They didn't know exactly what they were looking for, perhaps a lead or even Webber's name, merely something that could explain who she was.

Their process was interrupted by an insistent rapping on the cellar door. They ignored it, but after a second or two the knocking grew louder, as if someone was determined to beat down the door.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" yelled Drake as he climbed the stairs to let whoever it was in.

Upon opening the door, he came face to face with Jim Campbell, glasses sitting on the tip of his nose and hair pulled back into a messy pony tail. Jim, who was the head of the lab department, never really interacted much with Drake and JJ, but he was still one of the select few that didn't frown upon them being together.

"Sheesh, what do you want?" commanded Drake.

"This is for you," Jim said as he pulled a folder from inside his lab coat, "The results are in about Webber, the woman, and the baby."

"That's great! Thanks," replied Drake as he turned around to head down the stairs again, but looked back with a confused look on his face, "Why didn't you just come in yourself? The door was open."

"I've learned to knock," shrugged Jim.

"What does that mean?"

"Means I didn't knock two years ago and found McLean and Laytner up against a wall."

"Oh, good reason."

"Enjoy your data," Jim responded whimsically and returned to his office.

"Who was it Drake?" asked JJ as he pulled out a jar of applesauce for the baby.

"Just Jim with the lab results. You can go on and feed her while I read through this," advised Drake who opened the file and began to study the findings.

JJ was immensely proud of his ability to spoon feed the tiny girl. It hadn't taken long at all to get the hang of it and he now considered himself something of an expert. His one goal during the meal revolved around getting most if not all the food into her mouth rather than the floor. So far, only a few accidents had happened where she spit her crushed carrots back out onto his face. _Ha, but I've made progress. It feels good to have a success like this, even if it is trivial._

"Aw, fuck," Drake hissed after ten minutes.

"Drake!" JJ scolded, "Not in front of the ba-"

"Look! Look at that!" Drake huffed as he shoved the folder under JJ's nose.

After a moment of searching he realized what Drake had wanted him to see:

- - -The DNA test between Child 3355092 and John M. Webber is positive with 99.9 percent accuracy.- - -

"Holy shit" breathed JJ.

"Tsk," Drake shushed, "Not in front of Webber's daughter."

Their eyes met and they both understood that their case was long from over. They still didn't know who was the killer, if the woman, Candice Smith, was the mother, or why the child was left unharmed. How did they not know that Webber even HAD a child?

"Do... do they mention... who the girl is?" said JJ timidly.

"They just said that she's his daughter. No name, no birthday, just her station ID number," Drake answered back.

"Well, we can find that out easily now I guess. Just search on John Webber and... who was that?... Candice Smith and see what we come up with."

"JJ"

"What Drake?"

"We can't contact any of their relatives. She still might be a target."

"But they left her all alone-"

"Maybe they didn't even know she was there."

"Exactly what are you saying?" JJ said worriedly.

"That first we give Janet the names to search for, then let Child 3355092 stay with us until we know who was after her parents."

**oOoOoOoOoOo**

That evening found Drake and JJ sitting in their kitchen quietly eating their pasta, not saying a word. Uncommon as this was, neither of them made to break the silence, too lost in their own thoughts. Janet had run the names through the computer and came up with nothing, but told them not to be discouraged and that she would check them by hand when she had the time. Their worst fear had been confirmed. That not only was this the child of their low class drug dealer but that her records might be destroyed. It wouldn't have been hard for Webber to bribe an intern into "losing" the information.

"How is it?" JJ spoke up.

"What is?" queried Drake.

"My food."

"Oh, it's great," Drake quickly replied, "I've just had a lot to think about."

"You too huh?" JJ smiled as he made to clear the table, "It's hard to think about all the consequences."

"You're telling me. Our next move has got to be the perpetrator. Until we bag that person, we're going to be cooking for three."

"Four if you count October," chuckled JJ as he ran hot water for the dishes, "Are you washing or drying tonight?"

"Doesn't matter. You pick. Thank goodness we got Child 3355092 a car seat today. Now we can do both at the same time."

JJ didn't answer but instead turned his back to Drake, roughly throwing the dishes into the soapy water. Drake groaned inwardly. This was JJ's pouting stance. _And I don't even know what I've done this time!_

"What? Did I say something?" Drake demanded.

"Don't call her Child 335... whatever it is," JJ snapped.

"And may I ask why not?"

"Because it... it... dehumanizes her. She's more than a number," JJ commented softly.

Drake was taken aback. Apparently JJ had gotten close to the baby during the past three days, much more than he was letting on. _She must have hit a chord inside him..._

"Then what do you suggest?" Drake offered as he stepped behind JJ and pulled him to his chest, "We don't know her name."

JJ let go of the plate that he was scrubbing viciously and put his hands on the edge of the sink, "I don't know... we could give her a nickname. You know? Not her real name, but something we can refer to her as besides her number."

"All right," Drake approved, "What do you suggest?"

"Um... um... stop licking my ear when I'm trying to concentrate!" JJ squeaked.

"Maybe later then," murmured Drake, "How about something for someone... delicate, small, beautiful."

"Kallima," JJ spoke up after a pause.

"Kallima?" Drake said a little surprised, "Was does that mean?"

"Butterfly," replied JJ.

* * *

A/N: I had to hug myself at the end there! SO CUTE! I LOVE IT! AND I'M THE ONE WHO'S WRITING IT! YAYAYAYAYAY! MORE GOODNESS TO COME. WEEEEE! STAY TUNED TO FIND OUT THE END OF THE MYSTERY IN LATER CHAPTERS! 

Review, review, review. The more reviews I get, the happier I am, the faster I write, the quicker I update, the swifter you get to read the next chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I love reviews. My motive to keep moving and updating with a speed that would rival Superman. Hehe. I just look back to see that I've only been writing for little over a month and wow... I've come a long way. Two fics and about 100 reviews. –tears up- More than I would have ever though possible.

Sorry for the REALLY late update. I have been currently shipping my brains out and have been occupied. Excuse me. My focus now must shift back to my fic. Enjoy!

By the way... the scene in the park is sort of like the one I witnessed on vacation. I'm not making up any of the dialogue... people are really like that...

xoxoxo

Kitty in the Box: Oh my. Well, I've never seen Indiana Jones before so I wouldn't know about the big scary man... I got the name from a baby names site and thought it was cute. And Kallima just happened to mean Butterfly! And yes, Kallie is the Webber's baby. But it's slightly more complicated then that. They still don't have any records! –gasp-

Calico Avangi: Thank you, thank you. My pacing is all due to reviews like yours so thank yourself! Less sap in this chapter, sadly enough. I had to throw in some angst SOMEWHERE.

Neko Rinny: Aw, I never had a little sister. I have a little brother and he is nowhere as cute as Kallima is. But on! Updates, updates, updates... must release quickly to my waiting audience!

Jazz Cheetah: Yes, the title makes sense now! And I update as quickly as I can. As soon as I can without rushing the plot anymore. And I really loved Jim in the manga. So I decided to give him a little air time.

Goddess Iris: -cries- So happy you think it's better. And thanks for reviewing! I was curious as to what you thought of this one. And I see the banter between Drake and JJ key to their relationship. No one is all lovey dovey. Teasing is really sweet when moderated correctly.

Earthangel3: Yeah, I just couldn't stop smiling when I wrote about their car seat affair. It would be so cute to see them really do that. –huggles self- And you will find out the entire mystery later. I want to see if anyone comes up with a good guess.

Solistus: YAY! Thanks for reviewing. And wow. You make me sound really good. I'm not that great a writer yet... hehe. But it's okay if you're getting used to slash now. It's all part of my grand scheme. –snickers- YAY!

Doom Squirrel: Parenthood, the one curve Drake and JJ have not had yet. So I decided to use it. And Kallima is pronounced "Kall-EE-ma". Thank you for reviewing and I hope you continue to do so!

xoxoxo

* * *

Chapter 5:

The evening was fresh and crisp. The air seemed to bite the back of your throat as you inhaled, and the wind, which was always at your back, blew cool caresses into your hair. It was this weather right before sunset that was the most perfect for strolls in the park. Not hot enough to work up a sweat and not cold enough to turn naked fingers red. Just right. Soon the leaves would turn their various tones of gold and burgundy, but for now, they still clung to their branches, flushed a pale green.

This time of year, JJ and Drake made it their mission to spend every free moment outdoors until it became too frosty for comfort. There was a park nearby their apartment that provided an ideal place to walk with no destination, sometimes around in circles or sometimes up and down one particular path. It didn't really matter where they ended up in the end, as long as they were together. The habit was that they would usually hold hands, but that tradition was broken this year.

One of them had to push the stroller.

It had been about a month or maybe a month and a half since Kallima, lovingly referred to as Kallie, joined Drake and JJ's life. The change was forced and awkward at first, but day by day, they managed to pull through with less stress than the day before. Both had been reluctant to purchase anything "permanent", like a crib for example, but since Janet said she had about three thousand certificates to go through in her spare time, they ended up borrowing these items anyways. There were hygiene issues about letting Kallie sleep on the floor with October, not to mention that they wanted their furniture back. So, Marty had been supporting enough to loan them his son's old crib and stroller for their temporary use.

But where to put the crib... that was the challenge. Drake had taken the stance that the crib should be in the living room area while JJ had insisted it be in the bedroom with them. It would be much easier for them to hear her if something happened or protect her if someone attacked, from their bedroom. After all, her needs were to be first over their own for the time being. Yet, Drake absolutely refused to make love in any room with a sleeping baby just a few feet away. According to him it was morally unjust and could scar her for the rest of her life. JJ had to give up the crib in the bedroom, or give up sex.

Since he had already lost either way, JJ compromised with the use of a baby monitor and then everything was fine again.

Not in their wildest dreams did they ever believe that it would take this long to identify one person, but once again, destiny surprised them with the impossible.

"Drake," JJ whispered as he nudged his partner.

"What?" Drake asked as he continued to push the plastic stroller down the cement sidewalk. October's leash was tied to the side of the carriage, letting her trot along at their comfortable pace.

"The people over there are staring at us," JJ said out of the side of his mouth, attempting and failing to look inconspicuous.

"So? What's your point?" Drake replied as he stopped and leaned both elbows against the buggy's handle.

"They look like they are about to come over," JJ mumbled.

"Like I said, what's your point?" Drake scoffed back, "Who cares if they come over? We've dealt with stuff like this before."

"Not with a baby, no," JJ answered back hastily, "Let's just go home."

"Are you kidding? We've been here for, like what, fifteen minutes? It's not even dark yet."

Loud tutting sounds were coming from the bench that JJ had been previously talking about. Drake turned to see a middle aged woman and someone who he was guessing to be her husband, conversing in hushed tones with a disgusted look plastered to her face. To add insult to injury, she was openly pointing and shaking her head so that everyone in their vicinity could exactly what she found so repulsive.

"Fucking bitch," Drake hissed as he focused his gaze back at his worried lover. October had started whining in a high pitched whimper to show that she knew something was wrong. JJ bent down quickly to scratch the back of her ears to calm her while meeting the blond's stare.

"We're drawing attention," JJ pleaded, "I know you don't like backing down from a threat but it's not as easy with Kallie. We can't go shooting our mouths of in case one of us gets beaten up and puts her at risk."

"I know, I know, but I just can't do that... This isn't right..."

"Drake please don't do something-"

Too late. Drake had spun around to walk towards the park bench with the offending couple.

"- stupid," JJ groaned as he raced after the hot headed man.

"Excuse me, ma'am... would you please stop making such grotesque sounds? It's disturbing our baby," Drake stated in his low "no nonsense" tone.

"It's YOUR baby?" the woman sneered, not even trying to hide her prejudice.

"Yes, it's OUR baby and you loud, rude, obnoxious noises are upsetting her."

The woman's eyes widened and her fists clenched to show white knuckles, "How dare you! How dare you talk to me like that?!"

"I dare because you're making a scene," Drake retorted coolly.

"I'M making a scene?" the woman demanded as she pointed to herself, "You are the ones who are making the scene!"

"Really? How so?" JJ snapped from Drake's side, letting his arm link with his companion's.

"You're indecent," she shot back looking to her husband for support, "You shouldn't be allowed to raise children. Taking them away from their mothers..."

"Excuse us for walking out of our apartment without our pink triangles pasted to our foreheads!" Drake yelled, "It's people like YOU who absolutely nauseate me. Can't keep their noses out of everyone's fucking business."

"And if you'd rather have a baby with its mother, who is ODed on crystal meth, you've got a twisted sense of right and wrong," added JJ scathingly.

The woman gawked at them in shock, but quickly rose, dragging her husband away by his arm. Mumbling something along the lines of "brash queers" she stormed away, vacating the bench and leaving a horde of onlookers in her wake.

Drake seethed as he picked up Kallima, who had started to cry noisily when she had heard the raised voices. Sitting on the faded wooden bench, he soothingly rocked her back and forth, glaring at everyone who was still ogling them. JJ sat protectively next to Drake, cooing occasionally to their dog to stop the snarling. He refused to look up even when his name was called.

"Look, JJ," Drake began hesitantly, "I'm sorry about that..."

"I... it's... it's all right," JJ sighed, "I just wish you wouldn't have done that."

"Yeah, yeah. But I can't just take things like that lying down..."

"Nobody's asking you too. You just have to choose your battles wisely."

They both fell into silence. JJ with his hands folded into his lap, his eyes concentrated on the ground somewhere and Drake cradling the little girl with tentative affection that he had developed over the past month. The tension between them was awkward at best, neither of them knowing what to do next. They couldn't call their disagreement a fight, but it was more than just a small conflict.

_Maybe I was a little to forward. _Pondered Drake as he disappeared inside his own thoughts. _But I can't stand people like that! I shouldn't have to except it. I've got a right to confront it. If JJ could only understand the unfamiliarity I have with this new narrow-mindedness. It's all happened so fast! First JJ and now Kallie...why can't we just walk in peace?_

_I should have just let Drake go at it. _JJ considered as he rubbing the back of his neck with his palm, _he's not used to this much attention. Even after a year or so it still bothers him when people glare. Why can't he just get used to it? Is it even right for him to get used to it? I don't know... He said "our baby" with such passion it made me feel so wound up...but it's not our baby. It will never be our baby. _

"Are you angry with me?"

JJ jumped to the sudden question, "Wha? Oh... no... I'm not."

"I said I was sorry," Drake shrugged as he rested Kallima back into her stroller.

"I know... and I get where you're coming from," JJ exhaled quietly and lightly smiled, "Doesn't mean I think it was the right moment to fight homophobia... but I understand."

"Thank you," Drake said as he squeezed JJ's shoulder, "I think we've had enough excitement for one evening, don't you think?"

"I suppose so... Oy! You said I could push her on the way back," JJ cried indignantly as he reached for the buggy's crossbar.

"Was wondering if you were going to catch that..." Drake grinned as he shoved his hands in his jean pockets, "Okay, lead the way gorgeous."

The short, three block trip back to their condo was once again filled with light chatter about nothing in particular. This showed the bantering couple that they had mastered a skill that was rare among lovers, the ability to just let go of steadfast opinions in favor of cooperation. How lucky they were to put the past disputes exactly where in belonged... behind them.

**oOoOoOoOoOo**

Upon arriving home, JJ declared that he was going to give Kallie a bath then put her to bed since Drake had done the same the night before.

"Oh, I see," Drake joked, "You only pitch in on the FUN chores... ah..."

Playfully swatting Drake's backside he carried the infant off to the kitchen sink to clean her from the city's grime, "Don't complain. You're the one who wanted the relationship to be all or nothing sexy."

Drake snorted as he trod off to change his soiled clothes, "I just didn't know it would be all for you and nothing for me."

He quickly shut the bedroom door before a wet wash cloth whizzed out of the kitchen door, narrowly missing the center of his face.

JJ laughed as his returned to the brightly lit room. This space in the apartment was covered in white tile so the light from the luminescent bulbs reflected off of the ceiling, walls, and floor. Grinning to himself, he set to work, filling the stainless steel sink carefully with lukewarm water. Bath time was an activity that he had become quite fond of during the passing weeks for several different reasons.

For one, he loved how soft Kallima's skin was. The petals from a rose couldn't have had a more silken touch than a baby's back. The smell from the soap and shampoo was also enough to keep JJ coming back for more. Lavender was one of his favorite scents and the perfumed water was intoxicating to his sensitive nose. Another reason for his obsession with baths was much more personal however. It was time that he got to spend alone with the new temporary addition to their "family". He knew she didn't understand what he said to her, but it soothed a part of his stressed mind anyways. Thirty minutes of not worrying about his cases or about Drake or about his friend's problems. Simply, playtime with the cutest child he'd ever known.

_You really are like a butterfly aren't you Kallie?_ He thought as he massaged shampoo into the little hair she had. _You're so beautiful...you make me see what I was missing out on in a whole new light._

"AAAHHHHHH!"

JJ's head snapped to the direction of the living room. Detective instincts turned on full blast he scooped out Kallima, wrapped her in a towel, and put her in her car seat before sneaking into the room where he heard Drake yell. He was surprised to see nothing out of the ordinary except Drake heaving over the couch clutching his breath.

"Drake! What's wrong? What happened?" said JJ hurriedly as he sauntered over to where the taller man's face was buried in his arms.

"They... It's... I'm..." Drake muttered between deep inhales, clearly shaken.

"Please! Just tell me what's going on!" JJ pressed urgently.

Pausing a moment, Drake extended his arm slowly to touch the "play" button on their answering machine.

'You have one new message. Message One...'

"Hi, Drake? It's Stephanie. Sandra and I haven't heard from you in awhile and were really angry that you didn't tell us that you've moved. I had to call the precinct today to get your information. Oh well, Fred's on a business trip to New York and so I thought I would drop by. Catch up and all that jazz. Call me back at home before I leave... our plane takes off in three days. Love ya!"

'Beeep. End of Message. To delete this message press one now.'

"Uh... Drake?" JJ whispered softly as he looked suspiciously at the telephone, "Who the hell was that?"

Drake revolved gradually on the spot before coming face to face with JJ, "That's my sister."

* * *

A/N: OOOOHHH! Exciting! Stay tuned for more!

As always, please review. Tell me if you think my plot is deviating too much. I don't know. I really like it the way it is, but if you have problems. Drop me a line. –huggles reviews-


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: QUICK UPDATE! Hehe. This is chapter 6! WEEEE! Only 2 reviews this time, but I guess that's to be expected when you upload a new chapter the day after. REVIEW PLEASE!

xoxoxo

Calico Avangi: I'm sorry you had to endure that kind of sick prejudice. I can understand completely. I felt it my responsibility to show that not everything is happy happy for a gay couple. There's problems that arise from ignorant people. But, I'm glad you liked the chapter! You get to meet Drake's sister in this one, and yet another plot twist.

MoonstarSR: When you said update fast, you didn't think it would be the next day did you? –giggle- YAY! I love writing this fic. Hope you like this chapter as well as the last. Enjoy!

xoxoxo

* * *

Chapter 6:

"For Christ's sake, Drake! PUT THE MOP DOWN!"

JJ made a wild lunge for the cleaning tool and was able to grab onto the plastic handle with two hands. Unfortunately, Drake was still gripping the other end and holding on for dear life.

"You're... becoming... obsessive... COMPLUSIVE!" JJ grunted out as he pulled the mop free from Drake's fingers in one quick tug, "Stop cleaning! You're scaring the crap out of me! You don't even put your dirty clothes in the hamper and now you're mopping INSIDE THE PANTRY?!"

"It's dirty! And my sister's coming!" Drake shot back with vigor, "I haven't seen her in five years and she's coming OVER TODAY!"

Rubbing his temples with his fingertips, JJ took a deep breath and counted to ten, "If you don't stop yelling, you'll wake up Kallie." He stepped over the soapy water bucket to stand next to his stressed out boyfriend. Placing a soft kiss on his sweaty neck, he rubbed his back affectionately, "Listen, go take a shower and get dressed. Don't run yourself ragged before she even gets here."

"But there's still the-"

"No buts. Go, whatever needs to be done, I'll do it. You've got to chill out," JJ chuckled as he shoved Drake towards the door, "There's plenty of time for anxiety later. Like say, when you tell her you sleep with men now." Drake had refrained from letting his sister know about his current lifestyle over the phone because he wanted to tell her in person. It was better that he knew she was sitting down in case she fainted.

Drake shuddered for a second then reached out to open the swinging door, "That's not entirely true. I sleep with one man now. Singular." He flashed a smirk at the lavender haired man before disappearing into the adjoining room.

A few moments later, JJ heard the familiar sounds of water being pumped through the shower head. _Damn right you only sleep with one. And luckily it just happens to be me. Ugh, I'm starting to feel nervous now, my stomach is twisting in on itself. What if she doesn't accept us? What if she doesn't like me? What if she thinks Drake's just going through a phase? _

Mentally slapping himself, he set to work dumping out the dirtied water into the drain. _Stop being pessimistic! We need at least one person to be tranquil tonight and I think that's going to be me. One step at a time..._

He turned to give the gleaming kitchen a quick once-over. Everything was shining so brilliantly that you could see yourself in the counter. Deciding that it was acceptable, JJ wandered over to where Kallima was napping in the other room to wake her. There was only two hours till the set arrival, six o'clock, and she would have to be dressed in something besides her pink onesy.

**oOoOoOoOoOo**

The apartment went into a deadly silence when both detectives heard a firm knock on the door. This was it. This was the time when Drake would have to tell his family the truth. No more hiding from what was inevitable. And he was terrified. Trudging to the front maple door and dragging his feet to prolong the small distance, he suddenly wished he was anywhere but where he was at that exact point in time. With a quick intake of air, he turned the knob and met his sister.

"Hey Stephanie."

"DRAKE! It's been so long! And you look good! How have you been?" his sister cried as he flung her arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight hug. Smiling at her eagerness, Drake embraced her back, glad to see that she was just as enthusiastic as the day he had left.

"I've been good. Well, great actually. Come in, come in... there's someone I want you to meet," Drake said as he ushered her into the hallway, taking the bottle of wine she had brought with her.

"Oh really now? You've finally met a girl you could hold down for more than a month?" Stephanie grinned as she waited for her brother to take her coat and walk her through the apartment, "Wow. I'm impressed little bro! It's a great flat you've got here."

"It's not really mine though," Drake commented as he led her by the arm to the living room.

"What?" she asked looking up, confused, "I don't get it."

"You'll see," replied the younger sibling, "Steph, I want you to meet JJ Adams."

JJ held out his hand cautiously, trying to suppress the shaking in his limb. Drake's sister was beautiful. Maybe the same height as the taller man, she had wavy, dirty blond hair down to her mid-back and the same hazel eyes as his partner's. She obviously worked out to keep her body in shape and this made younger man feel self conscious.

"Pleasure," she called cheerfully as she firmly shook JJ's hand, "I'm Stephanie Dalrym, Drake's oldest sister. Are you one of Drake's friends?"

Visibly paling, JJ waited for Drake to say something. The moment had come at last, but their carefully thought out conversation was lost to the both of them.

"Uh... yes and no," Drake stammered finally, "He's... well, he's... it's just that."

"I'm his boyfriend," JJ pronounced swiftly, determined to maintain eye contact even though he wanted nothing more then to crawl in a hole.

Drake's sister appeared not to be phased for a moment, "Oh... OH!" Her eyes widened in shock as she put her hand over her mouth when she gasped.

"Yeah, um... Steph? A lot's changed since I left California," Drake uttered swiftly.

"I... I can see that," his sister answered, looking JJ over once again in a whole new light.

"I know I should have told you. Here sit down," Drake placed his hands on her shoulders and tenderly pushed her onto the couch, "It must be a shock, I know. But listen, this is what I really want. I've been so happy for the past two years. It means so much to me that you still love me."

Stephanie opened and closed her mouth several times before decisively shutting it again. Looking deeply into her little brother's eyes, she saw all the desperation and hope that he felt. He really did desire this, whatever this was. He had never been so openly emotional before.

"Please say something Steph," Drake begged with a note of worry in his voice. JJ hadn't moved from where he was standing. He COULDN'T move. All the memories of his parents' reaction were flooding through his mind, the anger, the disappointment, the screaming, the crying, and the final disownment. _Drake doesn't deserve that. It'll kill him..._

The woman ultimately stretched her hands towards the kneeling man to hold his face between them, "Stupid, I'll always love you. That will never change. You're the little squirt who I picked on for decades and never once complained. And... and if this is what, I mean, who you are now... what am I supposed to do but love you even more?"

Drake drew his sister into his arms and held her close, squeezing his eyes shut to fight back the tears that were threatening to surface, "Thank you." Stephanie just smiled warmly as she returned her brother's hold, letting him hug her until he was in control of his emotions again. She guessed that it didn't matter who he was with anymore, as long as he was proud of his actions.

JJ turned away from the caring sight, too overcome by what had occurred. He felt grateful, relieved, happy, nostalgic, and jealous all at the same time. It was such a different scene from when his own father had slapped him across the face. '_I won't have a faggot for a son! If I have to beat it out of you, I will! What made you think that this sickness was acceptable!' _His heart panged whenever he reflected on that night almost eleven years ago, how he had to crawl to his own room and lock himself in his bathroom. The very next week he was living in an apartment on the other side of the city. _My love for them just wasn't enough..._

"JJ, are you okay?"

He turned around wiping the redness from his eyes, "Yeah, I'm fine Drake. It's all right."

"Is JJ short for something?" Stephanie asked curiously, clearly in the mood to get the ball rolling.

"It's my first and middle initials, stands for Jemmy Jonathon."

"Hey! My son's name is Jonathon! What a coincidence," she beamed, "Well let's eat, I'm starving! You better have made something good Drake."

Shaking his head, Drake showed her to the kitchen, "Same hungry beast as always. Hey JJ? Grab Kallie and let's have dinner."

"Sounds good," JJ responded. He let his shoulders relax and let out a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding. _Here goes..._

"Who's Kallie?" asked Stephanie.

"She's the baby we've been taking care of."

Raising one of her elegant eye brows she added, "Maybe you should start from the beginning..."

**oOoOoOoOoOo**

Dinner was an enjoyable affair. Stephanie wasn't a shy person in the slightest and had the talent of keeping a conversation moving. JJ could now see why Drake had once referred to her as "the chatterbox", she simply had too much to say in a short amount of time.

"Mom has been really upset that you haven't come out to visit. She threw a complete temper tantrum last Christmas and Dad isn't much better. We really miss you since you transferred from the L.A.P.D. And Sandra had another baby, a girl this time, and she's only thirty-two. Only God knows who many more she'll bring into this world. Hopefully it isn't more than eight. Do you have any siblings JJ?"

The smaller man didn't say anything as he took in her last string of words. He didn't even know if she breathed during her onslaughts, "I'm an only child."

"Oh, well that's too bad," she replied, "Making fun of Daisy Boy here, used to be my entire world of entertainment."

Drake shot his sister a warning glance before JJ questioned, "Daisy Boy?"

"He didn't tell you about that?" she smirked.

"No, I didn't and you better keep your mouth shut," Drake growled from across the table.

"I think not," Stephanie said with a teasing air, "I was saving up this story to tell your fiancée, but since this is the closest you're going to get..."

"Say one word about that incident and you'll wish you never had," Drake threatened.

JJ's curiosity was piqued however, "No, go on. I want to hear this."

"Well, when Drake was seven he used to help our mom work in the gardens on our front lawn-"

"Steph..."

"-and he used to think that they were his friends-"

"Stephanie..."

"-so when a group of teenage boys came and stomped all over them-"

"Stop..."

"-he sobbed for weeks on end, saying that they had hurt his best friends' feelings-"

"Quit talking!"

"-The only way to calm the thing down was to have a funeral for every single one, each of them having a name-"

JJ was giggling silently at the thought. Drake didn't seem the child to care much about plants, but there was still a lot he didn't know. It as endearing to imagine him as a second grader, burying flowers because they "were murdered". Surprising but not unpleasant. Drake's face was so red that it was almost purple, apparently he didn't think his fanatical love of flowers was cute at all.

"Aw, Drake, that's adorable," JJ cooed.

"So we called him Daisy Boy for the rest of the year," Stephanie smiled, "But maybe it would have been more appropriate if we said fairy boy?"

"Stop embarrassing me!" Drake said, an octave higher than his voice usually was.

"What kind of a sister would I be if I didn't tease you hmm?" she answered as she reached over to ruffle his blond hair, "Well, I better be going. I told Fred that I'd be back by ten."

The sounds of chairs scraping against the floor and dishes being stacked was the only noise for a couple minutes. It had been a wonderful night after all. Drake's family seemed to be everything JJ had hoped it would be, spunky, talkative, loving, and most of all open minded.

"I'll call you okay?" Stephanie exclaimed as she put on her leather jacket, "Just to tell you that the news goes over well and all."

"Yeah, do that," answered Drake as he gave her one last hug.

"Come down this Christmas," she nodded before she looked over his shoulder, "And we'd love to have you too JJ."

JJ couldn't find the words to reply. No one had ever asked him over to a family gathering before. Drake seemed to get the message though.

"We'll see, sis. Safe flight back okay?"

"Absolutely. Love you." She walked to the elevator at the end of the hall, and waved goodbye before the silver doors closed together.

"I love you too," whispered Drake before returning inside the condo, "Whoa, JJ what's wrong?"

The smaller man just shook his head, too choked up to reply. He didn't even know what had brought on all these feelings, or what these feelings were. But the way Drake had said goodbye touched him in a way he didn't expect.

"I... don't know," JJ cried as he let Drake put his arms around him, "I'm not sad... I don't know what this is."

"Shh... it's okay, it's okay," Drake fussed as he crushed JJ to his chest, "It's all right."

The only response he received was JJ clasping the back of his shirt harder, hiccupping occasionally. Drake swayed his partner back and forth like his mother used to do for him. The movement pacifying all his pressure and worries. Murmuring kindly every few minutes, he continued to rock side to side.

'RING RING RING!'

'RING RING RING!'

"Hey JJ, you stay here, let me answer this really quickly."

"Sure, go ahead," sighed JJ as he leaned against the wall.

Drake paced over to the telephone and picked up, "Hello?"

"Is that you Drake?" said Janet from the other end.

"Oh, Janet, yeah... what's up?" he wondered.

"I, well, I found, uh, Kallima's stuff," she declared shakily.

"That's fantastic! It's what we've been waiting for! We might actually get in touch with a prep now."

"Drake, there's a reason why I couldn't find her birth certificate right away..."

"Does that really matter? We found it anyways... oh wait here while I get some paper."

"Drake, DRAKE, WAIT!"

But her shouts were in vain as Drake raced to a nearby desk, yanking a drawer open and taking out a large yellow notepad. Two great things happening in one day. This was too good. They would finally know who Kallie was, what her real birthday was, her records, her circumstances...

"Okay shoot!"

"Parker! Listen to me.."

"Just give me her stats Janet."

"Fine, her name, Heather Webber. She was born on May the fourth in Memorial Hospital to John Webber and Candice Smith, but Drake..."

"Heather huh? Well it's better than Gertrude at least."

"SHUT UP! I'm not done yet. I didn't get this information from her birth certificate Drake."

"What?" Drake queried, not sure that he heard right, "What do you mean"

"I... I found her... death certificate. Look, Drake... she died the day after she was born, May the fifth."

Drake's receiver fell to the floor with a loud 'thunk'.

* * *

A/N: Wow! I loved writing that chapter! I love Drake's sister! I always envisioned that as the kind of people Drake grew up with! And OOO... PLOT TWIST! DUN DUN DUN!!!

Review for me please. Just to make sure I still have a following of people willing to read. And tell me what you think is going on... I'm curious as to what you believe is in the future!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I know that most of you probably think that Kallie is a resurrected demon. No, no. I'm not writing AU (at least in this fic). This has all got a logical conclusion. I'm just not telling you what it is yet. There will be no dead spirits or ghosts or blood eating vampires.

Watch carefully because I'm going to be dropping hints throughout the next chapters all the way to the end. Remember that we still have a murder mystery to solve!

xoxoxo

Neko-Rinny: I love the idea of Drake having siblings. I think it's an idea that isn't used enough. Brothers and sisters build character! I know, everyone is curious at the "SHE DIED?" thing. It will be explained! Later that is... hehe

BluePlastic: OOO... well thank you for reviewing this time! It means so much to me that you do review. I'm glad you like the cliff hanger. It seems really weird doesn't it? But it will be explained! Just... not now. You write vampire fics? Kewl. I never thought about doing that just because I don't know enough about magical creatures to write anything on them.

Les Dilettantes: Thank you very much. I can't wait to write my ending for you then!

Doom Squirrel: You guessed wrong twice. Hehe. She's not the undead and her death was not faked! Drake and JJ are adorable no matter HOW you put them in a scene. WEEE! –huggles her characters- And JJ wasn't jealous per say. He was just overwhelmed by the power of their emotions, something he's never had before. Sibling love is big and in some ways stronger than romantic love.

Calico Avangi: I know it must be really confusing. Just stick it out to the end, because I will explain everything. I will not leave this fic with anything hanging. And Drake history is something skimmed over by all the DrakeJJ writers out there! Qutie depressing really. And I wasn't pitying you. No, I just meant to say that I know how it feels to be targeted for your sexuality and sadly I don't take it very well. –tries to update quickly without losing goodness-

Kitty in the Box: Glad you're happy. I love Drake's sister too. I might bring her back for a scene but I'm not sure. Kallima's birth is weird yes. And it will all be explained.

Grace: New reviewer! FANTASTIC! And Kallima is just supposed to mean butterfly. No hidden meaning I promise. And I never knew butterflies symbolized rebirth, I just assumed they stood for change. From something kinda unattractive to something beautiful. And my Drake and JJ are attempted to be real people. Not weak or strong, but realistic. Thank you for reviewing!

xoxoxo

* * *

Chapter 7:

JJ had never seen Drake faint before, but he had certainly witnessed it a minute ago. And even then, faint seemed too delicate a word, pass out was more like it. All of a sudden there was this gigantic crash and Drake lay on the floor, unconscious and white faced. Needless to say, JJ was panic-stricken at the sight. He rushed to the bathroom to dampen a towel and hurried back to wring the water onto his partner's ashen face. After several moments and a few callings of his name in a loud voice, Drake blinked open his eyes.

"Wha..."

"Drake! Drake, look at me. Focus."

The entire room seemed to stop spinning gradually and three fuzzy JJs became one again. He was still having cold water pressed against his forehead while he tried to remember what had happened before he hit the ground. _Steph left and JJ was upset... we got interrupted by... by... oh yeah, the phone... from Janet? Right, right... what did she want? Something about Kallie and her birthday and..._

Drake's mind clicked into what had made him collapse, "JJ! We have a ghost baby!"

"Excuse me?" JJ said skeptically.

"No! No, Kallie's dead!" cried Drake.

"Uh... did you hit your head on any-"

"She is JJ! Honest! Or at least she's supposed to be..."

"I don't understand what you're saying. You mean that girl sitting in her car seat, looking at you like you're insane, is dead?"

"Well, not that little girl," Drake said exasperated, "But Webber's daughter is dead!"

"Kallie IS Webber's daughter," pressed JJ, "We have DNA evidence for that."

"But... but... how?"

"Tell me what happened. I want to know everything that you said on that phone and everything that the person on the other line said to you. Get up and go rest on the couch. I'm going to make coffee." _Will the insanity never end? This assignment is more fucked up than all of the others put together by three fold! Dead baby my ass..._

So Drake recounted his conversation with Janet, every detail including the name Heather and where she was born and who she was born to. But that all appeared insignificant now, because apparently whoever was born, died. There had to have been a dead baby somewhere because death certificates were only issued if two doctors could verify that no life was left in the body.

"Maybe she's a twin?" suggested JJ after Drake had finished describing the events, stirring cream into his cup, "Perhaps, the death was of her sister and not really Kallie at all."

"Couldn't have been," refuted Drake as he cuddled the very confusing toddler in his lap, "The fact that she's a twin would have been somewhere on the certificate with the place that she was born."

"How do you know that?" asked JJ, giving a sip of coffee to Drake before setting the mug down on the end table.

"I worked on a case three years ago with Ryo... think it was called the Baker case, anyways, the person who was supposed to be murdered was a twin and it said so right on his documentation," said Drake.

"Ah... well... then I'm stumped," sighed JJ as he let Kallie hold onto his index finger, "She is definitely a very alive and energetic infant, not in any sense the child of the undead."

"I would imply "baby switching" at the hospital, but that couldn't be. We had a DNA test done. She is John Webber's daughter with ninety-nine point nine percent accuracy."

JJ dropped his head to lie on Drake's shoulder, unconsciously combing his fingers through the baby's ebony locks, "That whole stork idea is sounding better and better by the second."

"JJ! Look, look! She's yawning," hushed Drake as he made a move to get up, "Maybe she'll sleep all the way through tonight?"

"Wishful thinking," countered JJ, "She never stays quiet for more than five hours at a time. Between your snoring and her bawling, I've just learned to give up sleeping altogether."

"I don't snore."

"Yes, you do."

"Prove it."

"I've got one word for you, stubborn: denial."

"Innocent until proven guilty right, JJ? Go to bed. I'll get up first tonight in case she needs to be changed."

**oOoOoOoOoOo**

JJ slept fitfully that night. He usually had dreamless dozes on and off until the early morning, but tonight was different. After getting up around one in the morning to check on Kallie's diaper status, he slipped back into a comatose state, not expecting his mind to supply him with visions.

_He was at the 27th precinct. It was either very early in the morning or very late at night, considering how dark it looked and how everything gave off a blue glow. No one was around, silence bearing down on all sides. JJ looked around for Drake, he had to be somewhere near by... but alas, no. His lovable blond was just like everybody else, missing. Something was wrong. The station was never empty at any time of day or night. The next sound he heard was a petite whimpering from down the hall. Cautiously, he glided past unrecognized doors to arrive at a staircase. The sniveling noise was at the top. He knew it innately. Did he know this staircase? Yes. They were the steps that led to the roof. He climbed. The stairs elongated to be twice their normal size, forcing JJ to take the stairs two at a time to catch up with the stretching process. The noises were getting louder. He was almost there. The absence of a door at the top did not bother him as he scanned the roof. No one. But wait... across the street, the opposite high rise... a dark figure loomed, rising what JJ knew to be a loaded rifle... his rifle. 'No! Kallima watch out! There's one on the-'_

JJ lurched forward into sitting position in his bed, sweat running down the side of his face. He tried to slow the pace of his heart by controlling his breathing but he was failing miserably. The emotion in the pit of his gut was sickening, terrifying even though nothing had happened. Or had it... Scrambling out of bed, he left his snoring bedfellow to make his way to the living room. October raised her head from her position in front of the crib. JJ inaudibly told her to move by snapping his fingers so he could have a glimpse of the baby inside. Sleeping. Lying on her back, Kallima's emerald eyes were shut and her little chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm.

JJ practically crumpled with relief. His nightmare had been so vivid, so believable that it had almost made him think that it was true. But here she was. Safe and sound. _What could it have meant? I've never had a dream of being shot since it happened so long ago. Why should it affect me now?_

Lowering his head to place a chaste kiss on Kallima's miniature nose, he decided that he would not get further sleep tonight nor would he tell Drake in the morning. No need to have him fuss over something that was fantasy anyways. _Maybe my feelings for Kallie go deeper than I thought. I's only now that I realize that I would die to protect her, as scary as that sounds. She means so much to me. Maybe that was what the nightmare meant? Who knows... maybe I'll consult a book or something when I have time..._

**oOoOoOoOoOo**

"Ted! Marty! Pow-wow in our office, we need some advice on the Webber thing," Drake exclaimed from their open door.

"Yeah, sure thing. We were getting bored anyways," huffed Marty as he and Ted ambled around their desks to follow their fellow officer.

As they trekked down the hallway to the meeting room, Ted began questioning the situation early, "So what seems to be the trouble? Janet told me that she found you information."

"She did," answered Drake, "And it's the records she gave us yesterday that threw us for a loop."

"What kind of documents did she find?" Marty cut in, "And Ted, how did you know about the data when JJ and Drake where only told yesterday?"

"I was at her house last night, for dinner ya know," Ted commented as he blushed pink.

"And so that's why you're wearing the same clothes today?"

"Stay on task!" Drake chided, for which Ted was immensely grateful for.

They entered the small quarters to find Dee, Ryo, and JJ already sitting and waiting for their arrival.

"What took you so long?" complained Dee.

"Harassing Ted," replied Drake, "Now what kind of goods can we come up with?"

"Well, obviously Webber's daughter is not this Heather Webber," Ryo stated from behind his desk, wiping his glasses on the inside of his shirt.

JJ just groaned at the declaration, "Well then who is she? Everything fits, the location, the time, the parents..."

"Maybe it was faked?" proposed Ted.

"No motivation," Drake sulked, "Why would Webber pay good money to ensure that his illegitimate daughter was presumed dead? That just doesn't make sense."

"I suggest you stop worrying about the child and start paying more attention to fact that there are two dead bodies with an unaccounted killer," Rose sneered from the doorway on which he was leaning with his arms folded resolutely across his chest.

The office froze mid sentence to take in the commissioner's presence. They specifically did not invite him because they knew he would nag them about finding the murderer and not the identity of the baby. In his book, it didn't matter how cute the kid was, homicide was always first priority over missing data.

"Sorry," apologized JJ, "We just thought that her records would help to pin a prep, because then we would know why they left her."

"Really?" questioned Rose with an expression of mock surprise, "That sounds a little backward to me. Try finding the killer, then reasoning why the killer would have left the kid alone. Simple as that. First thing should be to get the loony behind bars. You know that."

Drake frowned as he thought about the commissioner's words. _Maybe I do know that. I SHOULD know that. I'm a detective for God's sake! All angles! Shit, I must be getting rusty or something... or maybe I'm subconsciously stalling..._ Frightened at the idea, he pushed it out of his mind. If he was indeed delaying the case on purpose, he could get into serious trouble with Headquarters for obstruction of justice. _Is that what one month with a baby can do?_

"Get back to work," called Berkeley over his shoulder, "On the RIGHT topic. And everyone else besides Adams and Parker, work on your own problems!"

"Yes sir," was grumbled by the present company.

Marty looked disappointed when Ted and him made their way back to the break room, "Thanks for the little break guys. And we'll mull it over occasionally and tell you if we come up with something."

Ryo ripped off the top sheet of paper on his notebook and handed it to Drake, "Here, these are a few of the places who we suspected were his buyers when Dee and I had the case. Hope they help."

"Yeah, thanks," Drake responded as he glanced over the addresses, "Aw, fuck. They're all high schools! You can't be serious."

Dee just nodded his direction, "Sad huh? We never got permission to question anyone there, but you might have better luck."

"It's better than nothing."

"That's not saying a lot."

* * *

A/N: This wasn't a terribly exciting chapter, but was stuck in there to clear out some misconceptions. Next chapter you'll get part of the conclusion. This is only an eleven chapter story so things are going to start wrapping up! NO NO NO! I don't want it to end!

Review for me, because you know you want to. I could use this space to beg and plead like I have all my other chapters, but not in this one. I always thought that reviews were a sign of respect for writers so, if you like anything that happened this chapter, leave me a small note. It doesn't have to be lengthy.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: First my apologies for the ridiculously late update. I got sucked into the world of Queer as Folk and well... got more than a little distracted. Also spent time writing my novel length original fic too. Oops. I feel really bad. I know I let you down. It's been like... a month? BAD ME! –smack-

xoxoxo

Kitty in the Box: Yes, the last chapter had no tension, because I was desperately trying to clear up misconceptions. Hopefully I accomplished some of that. This chapter should have some tension, not a lot. Just moving the story along.

earthangel3: You think you're late reviewing? I'm so freakin' late updating. I'm so embarassed. I swore that I would never let this happen! -hides face-

Neko-Rinny: I bet your arm is better by now. Sorry for the really late update. I'm SO going to try harder. I've been so distracted with this new tv series

Calico Avangi: Hopefully I didn't piss you off too much for the late update. Can't tell you how sad I am about that. The mystery will be solved. Promise.

goddess iris: Yes, I know. Crime is not my thing. And it shows. But that's not really the point for me I guess. I didn't start out with the idea for the mystery. That was added later to make an actual plot. I know, excuses, excuses. Don't worry, I've now realized my strengths are NOT in this area of writing and am writing an original fic that is definitely more up my alley. All humor.

Cole's Lover: Yes they are adorable together.

halowing4: Thank you for the compliments. And I hope I haven't disappointed you too much with the late reply.

ladybard96: Thank you for the pacing compliments! That means a lot to me and I appreciate it. I'm an older sister as well, and could imagine what it would be like to be in Drake's sister's situation. I thought that giving Drake family support would be helpful for him to be more comfortable with himself. Here's the next chapter. Sorry about the really late update.

xoxoxo

* * *

Chapter 8:

"Do you think we were ever that annoying in high school?" asked JJ, cupping his chin in his hand while leaning against the passenger-side window, "I just don't remember our generation having that much attitude."

"School is just different these days, I guess," shrugged Drake as he pulled out of the parking lot, "Don't let those remarks get to you."

JJ snorted, "Easy for you to say. They didn't call YOU a fairy did they?"

"No, they didn't," agreed Drake, "But like I said, just forget about it."

"Do I really look that gay?"

Drake chose to stay silent. JJ was pushing him into a no win situation, he could smell it. If he answered yes, then he would surely be bitched at until they reached the next location on their list. If he answered no, then JJ wouldn't believe him anyways, say Drake was lying to be nice, and bitch at him until they reached their next location. Ironic really. Staring forward and keeping his mouth shut was the only option at the moment that appeared to be nag-free.

"Answer me, Drake."

"Uh... yes and no?"

"Never mind, you obviously don't care enough to give me feedback."

"Look, not many men, and women for that matter, have purple hair."

"It's all natural!"

"I know! Believe me, I've got undeniable proof! But not many other people think it's normal. It could be viewed as a protest or something."

"Leave me alone."

"You started it."

JJ stuck out his cherry tongue and squinted his sapphire eyes shut. Drake took the opportunity to roll his own honey eyes towards the roof of the car. Sometimes the little man could be the biggest pain in the ass, a pleasant pain in the ass mind you, but a pain all the same. Yet in the end, it didn't matter, he would love JJ, all of him, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Drake just thought he was getting a hell of a lot more ugly than his fair share.

The white and blue vehicle rolled along the suburban streets, coming to a halt now and then in front of a stop sign. It was a quiet part of the city, a wealthy part of the city, and it was all too familiar to JJ. This wasn't his neighborhood that he grew up in, but it could have been a carbon copy. The same pristine white houses, spaced apart evenly by perfectly square hedges. A black Lincoln or Lexus was parked in almost every other driveway. On the outside it seemed to be the ideal place to live, but only the residents knew of their own private hell hidden away from public eye.

"Disgusting," JJ whispered under his breath.

Drake didn't know exactly what JJ was referring to, and he hoped it wasn't himself, "What is?"

JJ turned to see a flicker of worry spark in Drake's eyes, "Heh, not you baby. This place. The whole ugly street, just like the one before it."

Personally, Drake thought it was a very nice neighborhood, so unlike the urban alleys which they currently lived, "I don't know. It's expensive yeah, but it's peaceful enough."

The passenger-side burst into laughter, "Are you kidding? Of course it's not peaceful."

"Just... just because your home life wasn't calm... doesn't mean that everyone else's wasn't," softly muttered Drake.

JJ reached out with his left hand and put it tenderly on Drake's right arm, looking him square in the eye, "No, Drake. I wasn't alone. I wasn't the only latch key kid, who didn't even know their own family. It was different with you. You wouldn't understand. Money changes people... there seems to be more gifts and less sincerity. It wasn't until... until you and Kallie that I really knew what I missed, and I missed a fucking lot. You... wouldn't understand."

Someone blasted their horn from behind them. Snapping back to reality, Drake floored the pedal to make up for lost time, "Okay, maybe I don't know. Jeez... JJ don't go all angsty on me."

JJ chuckled lightly, "Oh you don't know the half of it."

The second to last high school that Ryo had gave them, Oxfield High School, made its appearance as they turned around the last corner. The building was huge. Towering over the adjacent street, it stood three stories tall, significant and intimidating. The two officers were almost nervous as they stepped out of the squad car and made their way to the entrance. Everything about the place, from the perfect flower beds to the stain glass in lay, screamed prosperity.

"Wow," was the only thing that either could say.

The inside of the high school was just as grand and beautiful as the outside. The tile was brilliantly white and the walls were a pale yellow. Every door was made out of maple wood, and the crowded trophy cases were covered in plexy glass. It was obvious why Webber would choose this atmosphere to infiltrate. These students had the money to afford expensive drugs, and anything else they wanted.

Drake and JJ politely requested to speak to the principal, and after showing the secretary their badges, they were ushered in without delay. The conversation that followed was brief and uninformative. The uptight principal refused to acknowledge that there was a drug problem at all in this "nationally recognized and highly prestigious" school. She had never heard of John Webber, or she simply ignored that he was a factor.

"I find it highly insulting that you come and accuse my school of trafficking illegal substances," she huffed, "Now if you'd kindly leave, I have pressing matters to attend to."

"Ma'am, we're not accusing this school of anything. We're just trying to follow up on a few leads. We'd appreciate your cooperation-"

"That is all I have to say on the matter."

Her tone of voice made it painfully clear that the little chat was over. Frustrated and disappointed, Drake and JJ left with only a roster of the previous year's students.

"Fat lot of help that did," grumbled Drake as he fired up the engine and headed back towards the precinct.

"Well, at least we can say that we did whatever we could. I'll run the names through the computer and if we come up with nothing... that's tough. We'll try a new tactic," sighed JJ in a resigned sort of way.

"This whole assignment is just becoming one huge nightmare. We've got absolutely nothing after about two months. Fuck, do you think we're losing our touch, JJ?"

"Did you ever think... that maybe we sacrificed 'our touch' for something else?"

"Like what?"

"A little girl."

**oOoOoOoOoOo**

JJ's feet were propped up on his desk as his computer breezed through the list of students from Oxfield High School. He was currently flipping through his check book, trying to determine where his paycheck had gone to that month. _Why am I still coming up two hundred dollars short? Damn, damn, damn. So unfair... Ryo and his savings... I can't manage to make up for missing dollars. OH! Kallie went to the doctor again two weeks ago, so..._

"Come up with anything yet?" Drake called from the office doorway.

"Well, nothing that's too interesting," comment JJ as he sat up in his chair and leaned over his computer, "Three of their students died last year, but none of them were busted for anything worse than pot."

"We can't win them all," Drake grinned before walking behind JJ's wooden chair and wrapping his muscular arms around his partner's neck.

JJ moaned softly when Drake started to nibble lightly under his ear. It had been a while since Drake had taken the initiative to show him affection at work. In fact, when he thought back, it had been a long time since they had shown passion for each other privately as well. Kallie had just taken up so much of their time that they were simply too tired to make out or make love anymore. JJ hadn't realized how much he missed it until Drake's hands brushed over tight chest.

The taller man took advantage of JJ's spinning chair and pulled him around none to gently to face his darkening hazel eyes. As Drake pulled his lover closer, one hand wrapped around the back of the silver haired head and caused JJ to instinctively grab onto Drake's hips. Without warning Drake brought JJ's face closer, smashing his mouth against his own. The pencil that was perched behind the smaller man's ear fell to the ground with a small clink but no one was around to hear it, and the only two in the room were too preoccupied to care. Drake forced JJ's mouth open and plunged his tongue inside, digging for his partner's tongue and then wrapping his around it over and over again once it had been located. His hand was moving as rapidly on the back of JJ's head as his tongue was inside his mouth. The blond's long fingers were twisting in the lavender locks, tugging and pulling at them trying to get a better grip.  
  
Drake's other hand reached behind JJ's waist to pull his body closer, using so much force that the air in JJ's lungs was pushed out his nose, which was the only vacant passageway at the moment. The sitting man was quickly becoming dizzy from the surprise, the forcefulness of the action and the lack of oxygen in his body but he wanted more and his hands tightened their grip on Drake's shirt.

_God, it's been so fucking long..._

With JJ returning the kiss and holding onto him tighter, Drake moved his hand to the tie around the other officer's neck. He pulled gently at the knot and the cloth but instead of getting it untied, it refused to give, making Drake all the more frustrated. With the domineering hand softly yanking at his tie again and again, JJ's body jerked forwards with every tug then would ricochet backward, bumping their bodies together on every off-stroke of the tugging tie ribbons. When the knot finally gave way, JJ's body jerked away one last time before Drake pulled him back against him, wrapping his arm around his waist tightly and slamming their dicks together.

At this time, JJ was half sitting, half standing, clutching to Drake's shirt. With any more pull, it surely would have ripped in half down his back. Leaning his head back, JJ sucked in as much air as he could, trying to make sure he didn't pass out. Drake on the other hand, apparently didn't need oxygen as he made a dramatic move to nibble and lick the entire column of JJ's neck. He only paused when he caught the sharp intake of breath that the smaller man took when he ran his tongue gradually up JJ's ear.

"Fuck, Drake," JJ panted, confused but not necessarily upset, "Where the hell did that come from?"

"You're sexy, I couldn't resist," Drake shrugged while stroking JJ's lower back.

"This isn't because we haven't... uh..."

"No, it's not. It's not anybody's fault that we just haven't had the time to make love lately. We'll make room when things settle down a little."

"Seems like things aren't settling down at all," JJ smiled as he brushed up against Drake's crotch, "Damn, didn't realize how much I've been missing."

"Same here," Drake whispered huskily, "You're my drug JJ, and sadly I've been suffering withdrawal symptoms."

JJ grinned like a mad man, "If I'm an addictive substance, then we'd better make sure you don't... HEY!"

JJ sprung out of the chair like a rocket, pushing Drake to the side as he did so. He plastered his face to the computer monitor and madly scrolled down the page.

"JJ! What the fuck..."

"Look! Look!" JJ yelped excitedly, pointing at a student on the data report.

Drake, more than a little upset at his partner's sudden lack of interest at his advances, heaved a huge sigh before glancing down at the screen. _Talk about ruining the mood... _Somewhere amid the sea of last names that began with a "H", a special name stuck out because it was highlighted in red. Drake thought for a moment and then huffed, "What's the red stand for?"

"It means they're dead," JJ replied.

"Yeah? So..."

"No, no. Looked what the kid died OF."

"Overdosed on ecstasy," Drake read off, "What has that got to do with... oh hold on..."

"Yeah, now you're getting it! I'd bet you anything that the dealer was Webber. Finally, connection made!" JJ leaned back into his chair, satisfied with his find, "And it's all thanks to you. Let's go talk to the family to see if they know anything. I'll drag up the address from records, okay?"

"Fine, whatever," Drake sulked.

"Drake," JJ said in his warning tone, "Is there something else that you'd rather do?"

"Yes. I'd like to take this opportunity of Ryo and Dee's absence to bend you over your desk and fuck your brains out. I mean, the kid's dead. Not like that's gonna change soon, but I suppose this is the right thing to do..." Drake answered, and with a playful smack on JJ's ass he added, "So, the faster we get out of here, the faster we can go home."

JJ's face dead panned. _Of all the... Fuck this! We're on duty, we have an obligation to the people, and here I am with a hard on and a horny boyfriend. Perfect. Just Perfect._

"I've got nothing to say to that," he said while attempting to appear unconcerned. He grabbed two jackets off the coat rack near the door, shrugged his on and threw the other to Drake. With his nose tilted in the air, JJ willed his jeans to loosen up so that he could concentrate on the simple act of walking. When this proved too difficult, he just stormed out of the room, not even waiting to see if Drake followed him or not.

The blond openly laughed while reaching for his car keys. _He sure chooses the weirdest times to be moral. _Tossing his keys, he caught them one handed and followed his lover. _You can run, but you can't hide gorgeous._

* * *

A/N: Again sorry for the really really REALLY late update. I'm so ashamed I feel so bad.

It's okay if you flame me, I know I deserve it.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: HAHAHAHA! Wow. Sorry to the few readers who read my fic the day after it came out and were wondering "Who the hell is this Justin person? And why is this suddenly a threesome?" I was writing a scene for someone else to put in their fic that involved QAF's characters of Brian and Justin. Hehe. I wrote them both at the same time and apparently, did not distinguish.

So no worries! Drake kisses JJ, JJ kisses Drake. And that's all.

Although a crossover would be fun... -ponders-

Whatever, on to Chapter 9!

Warning: This is a lot of drama. I suck at drama. You have been warned.

xoxoxo

Shigatsu87: OOO! Thank you for reviewing! That is so exciting to have new readers! I always thought that JJ was a little flighty and got distracted easily. Hehe. Had to throw that in SOMEWHERE. Hope you like this chapter as much as the last!

Neko-Rinny: Much thanks for the compliment. I know people wanted a fast update and I let them down. To make up for it I plan to write almost everyday now. HAHA! You caught my mistake too! Like I said, I was writing a scene for a friend where Brian makes out with Justin in the loft at the exact same time I was writing my own fic. Ooops. I'm surprised my beta didn't pick up on that though! And I sway between Justin and Hunter as my favorite characters. It really depends on the episode. –laugh-

MoonstarSR: Yup. I'm updating as much as I can now. Sorry to leave you all hanging!

Ladybard96: I used to be really upset with authors who only updated one a month and then fell into the trap myself. So, it's allright to get flamed for that. I would definitely understand. I've been trying to perfect my lemons. I still need to come up with more description before I actually post one though.

xoxoxo

* * *

Chapter 9:

"You're sure this is the right place?" Drake asked as he tilted his head slightly to the right and raised an eyebrow. The clean white brick and sturdy iron wrought gate gave off the impression of subtle class. Even the flower beds in the front of the house seemed inhumanly perfect with all the plants evenly spaced and angled in strict rows. Of all places that Drake expected an addict to live, this was certainly not high on the list.

"Sure it is," JJ shrugged as he trekked up the cemented pathway, lined with knee high hedges, "Why wouldn't it be?"

Drake glanced around to the left and right, taking in the simple decency of the layout, "Because... it's so... so..."

"Rich?" suggested JJ with a small smile, "Yes, that's why I'm positive this is the right place. Why does everyone think that wealth equals morality? It's the bored, well-off children that really have the time and money to spend on... extracurricular activities. Not everyone mind you, just some."

"Ah, well, guess you'd know that better than I do," sighed Drake as he gently pulled on a thin metal chain, then heard the following tune of the doorbell.

They waited patiently, but received no answer. JJ leaned back against the wall adjacent to the wooden door, while Drake tried the doorbell once more. A minute or so went by, as Drake rocked on the balls of his feet, clasping both hands behind his back. If no one was home, then that was all they could do without a warrant. Deciding to give up and try another day, JJ pushed himself off the brick wall and began to lead his partner away with one arm around his waist. They hadn't taken more than a couple steps of the doorstep before...

"Can I help you?"

JJ's hands immediately snapped to his sides and both of them turned to see a medium built, middle aged lady. She was wearing what appeared to be a burgundy bathrobe and was staring at both of them curiously. JJ was given the impression that they had caught her at a bad time because her hair was frazzled and she had huge purple bags under her eyes. _That's odd... usually the upper class cleans up a tad bit better before answering the door._

"Uh, yes, ma'am we'd like to ask you a few questions about Robert Wallis?" Drake chimed in when he noticed that JJ was too busy looking her over.

The woman's eyes bulged and her thin fingers clutched at the doorframe, "What do you want to know? I've already told the police everything I knew."

"Well, we are the police, and we have a few more specifics that we'd like to address if you don't mind," replied JJ, pulling his badge out to show her from the inside of his jacket.

From the look that was now resting on the woman's face, Drake thought it was highly doubtful that they were going to be able to step inside for questioning. She had unconsciously moved her body behind her open door, so that only her head could be seen around it. The way she chewed on her bottom lip, as if to stop the flow of tears, was not encouraging in the slightest.

"Mrs... Wallis I presume?" Drake queried, receiving a quick nod, "We don't mean to upset you or bring up memories of the past. We just need five minutes of your time."

"Yes," agreed JJ, "After we ask these brief questions, you won't be hearing from us again."

Hoping that they sounded sincere enough, they waiting as silence hung in the air. The woman looked as if she was sizing up her options and figuring out which one will remove them the quickest from her property. "All right, but just a few minutes," she ceded as she opened her door a little wider for the two officers to squeeze through.

If the outside of the estate had been impressive, it was nothing like the interior. A white marble staircase stood before them intimidatingly as the sheer openness of the front hall took his breath away. To Drake's left there was a family portrait of three smiling figures, not the type taken with a camera, but a painting with oils and canvas. The same middle aged woman that answered the door was sitting gracefully in a high back chair with, who Drake thought, were her husband and son each holding one of her shoulders. It was the perfect vision of what family was supposed to be. A respectable entrepreneur, his loving wife, and their successful son, groomed to take over the family business. Drake was pulled out of reverie when JJ called for him to follow them into the living room.

"Just take a seat there," Mrs. Wallis barked as she gestured to a black leather couch. Drake and JJ took a seat, making sure to space themselves a foot or two apart for modesty. Usually they would cuddle up thigh-to-thigh, but both of them doubted that now would be appropriate moment for that.

JJ flipped open his petite journal to a blank page and looked up into cold, disapproving eyes, "Mrs. Wallis, have you ever heard of a man named John Webber?"

The ruffled woman flinched from her seat on the facing armchair but answered, "No."

Undeterred, JJ pressed on, "Did you know that your son was buying illegal substances from his school?"

The woman's eyes narrowed into hard slits, "I obviously found out didn't I? That became quite clear from the autopsy report."

"So you had no idea that your son was taking ecstasy?"

"No! I didn't! And I don't see how any of this is relevant at all!"

"Now Mrs. Wallis, please calm down," Drake soothed as he scooted forward slightly, "We're just trying to get a few facts straight, that's all."

The graying head of the woman drooped to rest with her chin on her chest. She took two deep breaths, audibly inhaling and exhaling, before raising her eyes to meet them again. "I'm sorry, it's all been so hard on me. Robbie was everything to me... my whole world. All my hopes rested on him and his future..."

JJ's heart went out to the person who was now dabbing at the corners of her eyelids with the hem of her robe. He could only imagine the kind of pain that any parent would go through if their child had died from something that could have been prevented. There was just no way to measure the kind of guilt that would be internalized from that type of trauma. _It's a shame that I have to open wounds that were probably on there way to healing..._

"Just a few more questions, then," proceeded JJ, "What did Robert do after school ended? Did he come straight home? Or was he involved in any outside of school activities?"

"I... I really don't know," Mrs. Wallis admitted, "I never came home until around nine, and my husband was always away on business. I assumed that he came straight home."

"I see," nodded JJ as he jotted this news down. _Well, that doesn't help. Webber could have sold the boy the drugs from four o'clock on. Talk about being out of touch with the family. This is turning out to be useless, the kid could have even bought it from some else besides Webber..._

"Where you there in the morning to see him off to school?" was JJ's next question.

The woman rubbed her temple with the tips of her fingers, still distressed at the bombardment of personal inquiries, "Sometimes... mostly he was still in bed when I left for work. Once in awhile I drive him to Oxfield. Not often."

JJ scribbled the last of her comment down. _What a complete waste of time ,maybe I should have just let Drake have his way. Last time, I follow my gut instinct._

Drake reached into his pocket then pulled a Polaroid out to have Mrs. Wallis look at it, "So you have never seen this man before? Not even in passing?"

The woman flinched at the sight of the dead body lying on the wooden floor, bloody but still identifiable, "No. Like I said, I've never heard of Webber."

Drake took the photo back and replaced it in his pocket, ready to get up and leave, but JJ shot him a 'something's wrong' look. Drake knew from experience that when the smaller man sent him that gaze of warning, he had better sit down follow along. He had caught something that the less observant man had not. Like Drake had guessed, a tiny red flag had flew up in JJ's mind when the woman was looking at Webber's body shot.

How did she know that this was the body of John Webber, because she said that she'd never heard of him before? She must have known of him and even caught a glimpse of his face, to match the name and picture together. Somewhere in her story had been lying, but JJ had no idea to what extent her truth was stretched.

"I'll ask you again, ma'am, did you know John Webber?"

Mrs. Wallis stiffened at the more demanding tone in which the detective had asked his last question. She pulled her robe tighter around herself by reflex and stared determinedly back, "I told you. I don't know anything."

"Tell the truth Mrs. Wallis. You don't have anyone to protect," JJ declared back evenly.

Drake was starting to catch on to what had occurred just minutes before. _Of course! She's got to know who Webber is. Not just know, she must have seen him! Damn, JJ is the quick one. But why on earth would she not admit it? Her son's already dead..._

"Then how did you know the picture that Officer Parker showed you was John Webber?" JJ put forward.

"I guessed! That was the only name you've mentioned before! But whoever he is, he has nothing to do with my son," the woman stated in a higher pitched voice, louder than her previous denial.

"You'd be willing to testify to that in court?" Drake pressured.

"Yes! Now I think it's time for you to leave," Mrs. Wallis said upon rising out of her chair, "have you no respect? My son died five months ago and now you're accusing ME of knowing his supposed dealer?"

"I never said that Webber was his drug dealer," JJ uttered softly, glancing at Drake to make sure he was on the defensive as well. _She's digging herself a hole... she's let too much slip._

"Get out!" the fuming woman yelled from the living room doorway, "I have nothing more to say to you! Having the gall to harass me about my son! The only thing I had left to hang onto! Get out!"

Drake stepped closer to JJ to stand shoulder-to-shoulder, he was beyond concerned now and had moved right along to accusing. Clearly, the woman knew much more than she was letting on, and the difficulty in which she denied JJ's questions was coming back to haunt her. _Maybe she knew about Webber all along, maybe her son was a dealer as well, but why would she care? They're both dead... perhaps she doesn't want Webber's murderer brought to justice because of what happened. That's who she's protecting, his killer._

As if JJ had read Drake's thoughts, his hand made it's way to the back of his belt where he pulled out a pair of handcuffs. "Mrs. Wallis, we're going to take you in for questioning..."

"No!" she screamed from the open doorway, "I haven't done anything! This is uncalled-for! I let you ask me questions and this is how you treat me?"

"The more you keep yelling, Mrs. Wallis, the more it seems like you have something to hide," retorted Drake before taking the handcuffs from JJ and slowly approaching the confounded woman.

"Don't come near me! This is outrageous! You're trying to trick me by twisting my words! You're just using me because you know I can pay the bail money!"

"Your money has nothing to do with it," Drake answered, "And we're not arresting you, we just want to bring you back to the precinct to formally ask you a few more questions."

"This is preposterous! Leave right now! I demand you get out of my house!" Mrs. Wallis continued to screech. Her hands clutched either side of the doorway, her fingernails biting into the wooden frame.

"We're leaving, yes. But you're coming with us," Drake said while taking another step forward.

"No! I'm not going!" she screamed, and then flung herself to a nearby writing desk, flinging the top drawer open.

JJ saw her move and quickly guessed what she was going to do. With the speed that only a sharpshooter would have, he reached under his armpit and dragged out his firearm, just as the woman leveled her own revolver at Drake.

"Put the gun down, now!" JJ yelled, aiming for the region right between her eyes.

"You think I care?!" Mrs. Wallis cackled, "You think I honestly give a fuck?!"

"Just put it down and we can talk about this," JJ rattled off desperately. If she shot Drake now, at point blank range, with no body armor, he would be dead for sure. No second chances. Adrenaline rushed through JJ's veins as he tried to control his thoughts. He didn't care what he had to say or promise, as long as Drake came out of this safely and in one piece.

"I knew you'd come for me!" she grinned menacingly, now gripping the trigger with two hands, "I wondered how long it would take."

_What the fuck is she talking about?_ Drake contemplated, still looking at the barrel of her unfriendly gun.

_What's she mean? _thought JJ wildly. _What's this about coming for her?_

_Oh fuck! It must mean..._

_That she is..._

_The one..._

_We've been looking for._

"Why did you shoot him Wallis?" JJ demanded. Drake was thinking the exact same thought, but wasn't about to ask anything with a loaded gun two feet away, pointing at him.

"Why else would I shoot him?" she panted as her hand shook a bit, "He killed my son! He killed him!"

"No, he didn't," Drake said timidly, "Your son overdosed on drugs, he had a choice."

"SHUT UP! He tricked him! He made him take it! My son was a good boy, my son would never do that willingly!"

"Yes, your son was tricked by that dirty bastard," JJ nodded. _I'll get more with honey than vinegar._ "You're absolutely right. But how did you find out about Webber? How did you know it was him?"

"I asked his friends, I asked around school, I waited so someone could point him out to me, it took such a long time... but I finally found him!" Mrs. Wallis cried triumphantly, "And what were you doing huh? Sitting on your fat asses doing nothing about it, I bet. I had to get revenge because YOU didn't DO anything!"

"That's not true," JJ retorted, "We were working hard to track him down."

"And ME a fifty year old mother found him first," she sneered, "How fucking sad!"

At this point the gun was trembling and not only her hands that gripped it. _Surely the gun might go off from the mere amount of rapid vibrations_, JJ worried. _Get the gun out of the picture, have her lower the weapon..._

"Using your own brand of justice is not how this country works," JJ shouted, "NOW PUT THE GUN DOWN!"

"You've never had anyone close to you die have you?! You've no idea how bad it feels!"

_Just put the gun down, just put the gun..._

"No, I've never lost anyone close."

"Well you're about FUCKING DUE THEN!" Mrs. Wallis yelled and took the gun off Drake to shake it in JJ's direction.

This was the only moment that Drake needed to throw himself at the woman and tackle her to the ground. She was so light from apparently not eating, that it was no trouble to keep her flattened on her stomach while he handcuffed her hands behind her back.

JJ almost fainted with relief when he had witnessed what happened. The next few moments were just a blur to him as he tried to recall them later. Drake escorting her, bathrobe and all, out to the squad car while he recited the Miranda rights, JJ calling in for backup to search the household for any relevant evidence, Rose's pleased voice over the radio, and Mrs. Wallis's shrieks all the way to the station.

"_He killed my son! He killed my son! I had a right! I had the right!" _

**oOoOoOoOoOo**

"You did a good job Drake!" Ryo complimented as he and Dee walked into the office an hour or two later, "Rose just told us you nabbed the bad guy. Complete confession and everything."

Drake snorted indignantly, "The bad guy was the mother of a dead boy, wearing a bathrobe."

"Oh," answered Ryo, shrugging a little at his inappropriate accusation, "Why'd she do it, hmm?"

Drake finished off his last sentence before closing the file folder and turning his swivel chair to face the other two officers. "Webber was dealing to her son after school. He eventually became so dependent on it that he took one too many one night and suffered a stroke. Eventually, the grief just got to his mother. She went digging around for who sold him the goods, showed up, and shot them. Kallie only survived because the woman didn't have it in her to shoot a baby, who obviously had nothing to do with her son's death."

Dee shook his head in dismay, "That's just fucking depressing. In some ways, you've got to pity her."

"Yes," Ryo breathed softly, "It's never fair that children so young have to die."

"She'll still receive a life sentence. Two homicides isn't looked favorably on in any instance," pointed out Drake, "Thing is, she doesn't care. Without her husband and son, she doesn't see the point in living in her mansion or as someone's cell bitch. They're both the same to her."

"What's the world coming to," huffed Dee as he lifted his feet to rest them on his desk, "A mother killing drug dealers and their girlfriends... seventeen years suffering strokes..."

Ryo smiled gently at the comment, "That's why we're here Dee. We make a difference."

"I know you're right," murmured Dee, "But it's the one unjust case out of a hundred, that just gets ya down, right Drake?"

Drake didn't answer, but simply chewed the end of his pencil in contemplation. There were always slight imperfections with the justice system in New York City. That was to be expected. There was just too much crime to be dealt with flawlessly in each case, so why had this particular assignment struck so close to home? There had dealt with other numerous sad story situations, this should be no different. Should be.

"You want me to go get you something Drake?" Dee offered causally, even though Drake could tell that he was sincerely concerned.

"No, it's all right," he responded, "I've got someone to go look for."

**oOoOoOoOoOo**

Drake climbed the familiar rickety stair way to the roof of the police station. His heart knew that was where he was going to find his sensitive lover. The tops of buildings is just where he tended to gravitate to when he felt upset, even though Drake had know idea why. So, it was no big surprise when he found a silver haired man leaning over a well-known railing, facing away from the stairwell. He appeared to be lost in thought, since he didn't even turn around to see who had come to join him.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Drake chuckled half heartedly before assuming the same position as the man beside him.

JJ finally blinked and turned his head to the side, eyes bloated and puffy, evidently he had just stopped crying before anyone came up. "Did we do the right thing Drake?"

Taken aback, the blond couldn't think of anything to say. He had not been expecting such a broad question so he was unsure as how to answer. "What... what do you mean?"

"It's just..."JJ mumbled before releasing a strangled breath of air, "What would we have done, if we were in her position? Her son was pressured into his habit... she didn't mean for it to happen."

Drake pulled JJ into a reassuring one armed hug, "No one means for their kid to become addicted to drugs. It just happens..."

"No! It doesn't just happen," JJ cried forcefully, "Kids get forced into all sorts of corners. Many times they make the wrong decisions, but there had to have been coercion behind it."

"Hey, hey, just calm down okay?" Drake cooed as he squeezed the distressed man's shoulder, "Yeah, it was horrible that Webber may have gotten the kid hooked, but his mom blew it way out of proportion..."

"And what would you have done Drake?" JJ asked quietly, "What if someone came and shot Kallima? How would you feel?"

"Stop, JJ, just stop. This has nothing to do with Kallie. Overdosing and getting shot are not even on the same playing field. And Kallie will never get shot."

"The end is the same though right? And I bet Mrs. Wallis never thought her kid would do drugs, just like we're so sure that nothing will happen to..."

"JJ! Snap out of it. Don't even think shit like that. You're getting too worked up over this."

"I'll tell you what, Drake," JJ responded, grabbing both of Drake's forearms to face him completely, "If I knew that someone, somewhere, helped to cause Kallie's death, or even yours for that matter, I wouldn't blink twice at finding the mother fucker and putting a pound of lead in his brain! I'd never be the same if I lost you! Ever! And I know what she must have felt like, because I would feel the same way!"

Drake stood rooted to the spot, shocked at his partner's confession. Not that he didn't feel the same way, but the amount of passion that rose up in his words struck a chord inside him. JJ slumped slightly against the other man's taller frame, resting is head against his chest, still clutching his arms. Neither of them spoke for a long time, they just stayed there in that uncomfortable position, waiting for the other to say something first.

"It's... it's getting late," Drake awkwardly muttered to break the silence, "We should go before Mrs. Henderson calls to wonder why we haven't picked up Kallima or October."

JJ nodded into the detective's jacket, "Yeah, I know. Just, hold me a second. Please?"

Feeling the apprehension behind this simple request, Drake shifted his arms so that they were wrapped snuggly around JJ's waist, holding him to his body and lightly kissing the top of his head. "I love you JJ. I'm not going anywhere. Just settle down okay? It's gonna be fine, relax."

JJ heaved a long sigh, before replying with a weary voice, "I'm okay. At least I will be."

It was another fifteen minutes, before JJ reached up to peck Drake on the lips, then lead him back down the stairway to the car park.

* * *

A/N: Wow. Heavy chapter. Well, now you know part of the mystery! You still don't know why Kallie is "dead".

To be revealed later! Dun dun DUNNN!


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